Gotham is Ours
by Anna M. Phoenix
Summary: One soul, one purpose, regardless of distance, time or space. They had come to bring reckoning to Gotham together, but had to remain publicly apart to fulfill the work of the League of Shadows. An exploration of various scenes in the life of Bane and Miranda/Talia before and during the siege of Gotham until their final stand.
1. My Heart Beats Just Below the Surface

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : I have never written a fanfic before, but I was deeply moved and interested by the backstory of Bane and Talia and wanted to learn more about them. I would also love a League of Shadows film featuring Ra's. But, in the meantime, here is my humble attempt at providing extra scenes within the context of the story of TDKR. **

**I put romance in the category because it was the closest option. However, I feel that they, being ninja assassins, would not be the types for overt romantic gestures or I love you's and that their relationship was more complex because of their shared experience. The are, in my mind, each other's everything : parent-child, brother-sister, lovers, but most importantly friends and soulmates.**

* * *

**I. My Heart Beats Just Below the Surface**

"Have a good evening Mr. Wayne," Miranda Tate said politely, then turned quickly so Bruce Wayne wouldn't see her satisfied smirk.

She walked around the balustrade overlooking the dance floor below, nodding and smiling politely at her masked guests, until she found a small space of solitude. She went to a desk under an ornate mirror. She gazed at her face – Miranda's face – and pressed her lips together to control the sadness. She unlocked a drawer from which she pulled a yet unused disposable cell phone. She had dozens everywhere in her house, only meant to be used once. She dialed the number and waited patiently until the familiar hissing sound of his metallic breathing jolted her heart.

"Bruce Wayne has come out of hiding," she said simply. It was innocuous enough, had someone overheard, since the return of the playboy billionaire to Gotham society would soon be the talk of the town.

She neared the balustrade railing and spotted her mark dancing with Selina Kyle… "And he's taken an interest in your cat," she added with slight amusement.

She heard him breathe in deeply and finally his voice resonated through the phone. "Then perhaps your seduction will not be necessary. The Cat certainly has the body and the skills to get the job done," he told her, sounding amused but with a lethality she never failed to perceive. She should be above such things, but it panged her that he would have noticed the woman's attributes. She knew that he hadn't said it to belittle her, that instead he said it fairly hopeful that she wouldn't have to go through with that part of the plan (something, deep down, she hoped herself, despite their bitter disagreement on the subject). But there it was: she fell victim to a demon that whispered that her friend had noticed another women, a woman who would have seen him much more recently that she had, and it compounded how much she missed him. She inhaled loudly, trying not to betray her jealousy and longing. He wasn't speaking either.

She finally broke the silence by saying: "Have Barsad be at the pick up tonight". She hung up before he could answer. She then pretended to fumble and drop her phone and swiftly stepped on it, the stiletto breaking the screen. She picked up the cell phone, giving an embarrassed look to the sympathizing couple that had seen her, then she covered her eyes with her mask before heading upstairs towards her bedroom. She had already been seen in the hall and the festivities were well underway, her absconding wouldn't be noticed.

She had swiftly changed into black pants, boots and top and put on a large trench with a hood (which she pulled over her head), before she went by the back elevator and slipped out by the fire escape door that lead to an alleyway. She walked two blocks to find a run-down black 4-seater for which she had the keys, and she drove off quickly.

She waited with the grey case in hand, till the handsome mercenary came out of the shadows. She knew he instantly recognized her but he said nothing. Barsad was loyal to the death to Bane, and thus to her, but he was not a friend. Bane and she had no friends, except each other. Still, one could not ask for a better spiritual brother than Barsad and she always felt a bit better that he was with Bane when they were separated, though it often was Bane, ever the protector, who would save Barsad's life.

The young mercenary flipped his sniper rifle behind his back and made a gesture to take the clunky metal box she was holding. Talia brought it closer to her, communicating that she would follow him. He nodded reverently and brought her down the sewers.

He led her through a maze she already knew, though she hadn't seen it in months. She could have found her way; she always could find her way… to her protector. She knew he had felt her coming, as he stood tall, his hands fidgeting on his sides. Looking intently towards them. His gaze burned through her, though she didn't look up to see his eyes and could only see the expanse of his naked torso. She couldn't have the men recognize her. Only Barsad, Bane and herself knew the truth about Miranda Tate.

Bane made a few quick gestures and the mercenaries quickly dispersed from the area, and he turned to go to his private quarters: a single cot, covered by a tent, next to various television screens, photos and plans. She followed silently and passed him as he held up the tent flap and let it fall as soon as she was through the entrance. She put the case down on the cot and finally took off the hood and looked directly at him. Though the water and welding noise was deafening, they couldn't afford to speak. She knew he was angry by the glare he gave her, but as soon as she brushed her hand to the mask that covered all of his mouth and nose, his gaze softened and one of his big hands delicately ran down her wrist and forearm, his touch giving her goose bumps.

She pulled her hand away and went towards the grey metal case. He quickly went to get another green case, which was code-locked, and put it beside the original case and opened it. She opened hers and started to transfer piles of small flat circular canisters to his. Her case also contained medical supplies, a towel and a container of water.

He brought a foldout chair and heavily sat on it. She noticed the embers of a dead fire near the entrance of the tent and it warmed her. She took out the necessary supplies and put them on the bed, mechanically grabbed the bowl he handed her and poured half of the water container. He had put a sealed 2-liter container of pinkish liquid and a bag of toiletry near his chair and he took out the small digital timer, set at twelve minutes.

It had been four months since they had last seen each other but their dance was as it ever was and they didn't miss a beat. Miranda, now shedding her final mask, took off her coat, and started stripping, becoming Talia once again. He gazed in awe as every piece of clothing left her, until she was completely bare in front of him. She let him look, enjoying how lost he was in her. She felt another fire starting to burn in her belly.

He reached out, tentatively touching her cheek, then her lips with is large, rough thumb. She slightly opened her lips and kissed his finger and smiled, a smile she only had for him. She knew it was a risk for them to see each other, but with Wayne back in the picture, the plan would accelerate and how much time would they have then? Too little time.

Her hand landed on his and she followed it as he traced her neck enveloping it in his large palm. He then glided down her sternum and veered towards her right breast, sliding her hard brown nipple between two of his large fingers. Then, he moved to her stomach and applied a gentle pressure. She swallowed but didn't allow the moan that was building in her throat to escape. Her hands started sliding on his arms up to his broad, scarred shoulders to his neck. Their eyes locked together.

She sat on his thighs, the fabric of his cargo pants rough on her soft skin. His hands went around her hips and rested on the small of her back. Se reached back to the case and took out the syringe and plunged it in his neck. He didn't even blink.

She then proceeded to unclasp the mask behind his head and slowly started to remove it. She felt his hand tighten over her lower back and saw the strain on his neck. The local anesthetic hadn't yet numbed him to the blazing pain. His muscles twitched. She laid the mask on one of her thighs and quickly pushed the timer button, the minutes already escaping them. She quickly examined his wounds, white skin still forming the shape of his mask, pink oozing scars covering a distorted chin and his maimed lips – what was left of them. A large gash ran from the left corner of his destroyed mouth to where his left nostril had once been. She took a piece of gauze and tenderly dabbed at the skin to take off the sweat, saliva and specks of pus and blood that the metal from the mask exacerbated. He kept his sight on her, his eyes starting to well up. She took the other syringe and carefully put it under his chin. It was a concoction they had found in the Himalayas that didn't cause too much adverse effect with the gas analgesic that his mask dispensed to continuously relieve him of the constant pain he had endured for her to escape the hell she was born in. Her own eyes started to well up at the sight of this beautiful man, but her lids caught the tears before they fell.

She lightly cleaned his face before handing him his liquid food – 10 minutes left. The local pain relief was short and allowed only reprieve once per twelve hours. The injection didn't remove the pain completely but it numbed it a bit for him to eat and groom.

She started to roughly clean the inside of his mask and the piping exterior, while he grabbed the smoothie and gulped it down hungrily. He wiped his chin, and he grabbed the toiletry bag to get a toothbrush and cleaned his mouth ferociously, having decided he would not be shaving tonight – only 8 minutes left. He rinsed with the water from her container. As soon as he put the container down and looked at her, he was pleased to see she had finished cleaning the mask – 6 minutes left, and she didn't waste any time pushing her lips to his mouth. He kissed her back ravenously. She mapped out his scars with her tongue and he licked her chin, while his hands roughly caressed her back. She stood to allow him to kiss her neck and her breast, sucking and biting them violently. 2 minutes left – a small beep signaled.

He would not have time to cover all of her body but he didn't need to, his hands were already taking over. What he wanted was her mouth again and he took it, though the throbs of pain were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore… 1 minute left. They had to stop so he could put the mask back on. She reluctantly pulled her face away but he tried to hold it back to his. She continued kissing him as she replaced the canisters at the side of the mask without looking (so many years of practice… she could do it blindly). The alarm went off but he endured; he endured for her. She broke their embrace, not because of the fear his spasms could have provoked, not because of the bruising his bracing hands would inflict, but because of the pain of seeing him suffer again and forever for her. She was not as strong as he was; that pain, she couldn't endure.

She quickly placed the mask back on, still standing in front of him, her legs surrounding his. She held his shoulders, studying him as she saw the pain slip away with each raspy breath. She saw his eyes crinkle, sole evidence of a smile and she returned it gleefully and kissed each one of his eyes. His hand continued expanding her as his eyes as started, preparing her, after all those nights without her warmth. He made her come but she remained silent. They both did.

He swiftly unzipped his pants. Pulling her down with the fingers he had hooked inside her, he positioned her over him and she slowly slid down onto him and started rocking until she was completely filled – all in silence. They had done as such for years, ever since their flesh had found a way to fuse as their souls did, after she had matured, during their time in the League of Shadows. So as not to be found out by her disapproving father, even her painful first time, she had born in silence. Since then, silence had become the most intimate part of their mating and of their devotion to one another. Even after her father had found them out, had tried to tear them apart by force, even after she had found her friend again and they were free together, they often coupled in silence. As disciplined and as controlled as she had been, he climaxed and only let out a slightly stronger hiss and closed off his eyes, breaking their united gaze for the first time. She rode him until she shut her own eyes in muted ecstasy.

They embraced, their sweaty body bonded together, and stayed still for far too little time. She would have so liked to sleep in his arms, to mold herself to his mass and find a restful sleep like those long ago nights, but she couldn't stay and they both knew it. She stood up and used the towel to dry both of them. She put back the medical supplies and syringes in the case and dressed quickly. He grabbed her case with one hand and waited for her at the tent entrance. She then walked towards him and put the hood back over her head. Before he handed over the case, she put her hand on his mask again, gliding over the pipes that kept him whole. She approached her head to his ear and whispered the only words they would share in person that night: "Goodnight my friend."


	2. The Fluctuation of Worth

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : Aside from the Bane/Talia relationship, I am trying to think of explanations for certain events in the movie. However, since I am writing scenes within the context of TDKR, I will occasionally use some quotes from the film, but will not spend too much time explaining scenes in the movie or who the characters are. I hope it doesn't make it too confusing for anyone who hasn't seen the film.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**II. The Fluctuation of Worth**

Miranda was sitting on her cream-colored couch (which she hated), her legs stretched out so her feet could rest on the mahogany coffee table. She was playing with the silk scarf around her neck and was sipping a glass of red wine as she watched, with great interest, the news reports about the break-in and the taking of hostages at the Gotham stock exchange. News helicopters were transmitting images of the subsequent high-speed pursuit downtown.

Bane had deftly maneuvered John Daggett, an ambitious but ultimately gullible construction magnate, into hiring the cat burglar to get Bruce Wayne's fingerprints in preparation for this coup – the final blow to Wayne Enterprises. They would fraudulently tie Bruce Wayne to Futures expiring options and have him lose his entire fortune in a seemingly reckless trading fiasco. At Bane's request, she had arranged for four dirt bikes to be anonymously delivered to the stock exchange in wood cases that morning. She guessed his men that had infiltrated the building had made sure they were available for the escape. Daggett was convinced the stock scandal would finally give him control of the board, but Miranda had faith that Lucius Fox, Wayne Enterprise's devoted CEO, would reach out to her to prevent it. If she were wrong, if Daggett won out and took control, they would improvise; the main damage will have been done: destroying Bruce Wayne's financial security. They were going to see him lose everything, see the worth of his life plummet before he lost it. Now, Bane just had to avoid getting caught.

She had unwavering faith in him, but it unsettled her whenever he was separated from her, when she couldn't help. It threw her back to when she was a girl and she had to watch him get drowned in the riotous crowd below, while she climbed the walls of the prison she was born in, and she ascended to freedom. The years that passed before she could go back, after finding her father, had been agonizing. The guilt was a pain that would follow her, as unrelenting as the pain her protector constantly suffered. She lived with it, and it had numbed over time, but sometimes she felt the sting of it – like now, when she saw what seemed to be the entire Gotham police force at Bane's tail, and here she was, sitting pretty in designer clothes, in a lavishly furnished penthouse.

Her clenching fingers finally broke the delicate stem of her glass as she sprang up at the site of the Batman on the television screen. She held her breath until she realized Bane had turned back and had crossed his path – he knew the masked fool had returned as well. To her surprise, neither the Batman nor the police followed Bane and he eventually fell out of the frame of the camera. She watched the rest of the chase and the costumed vigilante's expected escape with serene detachment. A devilish smile stretched across her face. How lovely… Bruce Wayne had now resurfaced in both his forms and had been an accomplice to his own demise.

* * *

Bane's head jerked back when he turned around and passed a dark figure in a cowl, riding a motorcycle with huge 20-inch wheels. He had planned that splitting up from his cohorts would reduce the number of cops pursuing him, but the Batman offered a better alternative: throwing the police completely off his trail. When Bane was in the clear, he stopped and looked back at the blazing lights following Wayne's alter ego and wondered if they would catch him – if his downfall would be so banal.

He didn't have time to ponder it right then, but he soon got the answer later that night, when he watched his masked foe escape from a lower tier rooftop of Daggett's apartment building. Bane had gone back to Daggett's place and found that Selina Kyle had taken him hostage and got the better of some of his men with the help of the Batman – who evidently had been suspicious of Daggett (impressive, Bane thought). Bane watched the Bat and the Cat jump off the ledge and into a hovercraft… Bruce had new toys (being out of commission for years decidedly didn't lessen his opponent as much as he would have thought). Bane held on to his military jacket as he watched them fly away

Once the Bat was out of site, the mercenary ignored Daggett's hysterical rants and simply told him Wayne would be ruined the next day, letting the fool imagine himself take over the company he had coveted for years. Bane left quickly after he killed the men who had failed to subdue the two escapees. He ordered Barsad to retreat back to the sewers with the crew and dispose of the bodies, as he grabbed his motorcycle touring jacket and the backpack he had told him to prepare. He rode straight uptown.

* * *

Miranda had turned off the television and cleaned the mess of her broken wine glass, turning over the smeared cushion. She actually thought the red stain improved the furniture, but she had to keep up appearances. She had then started a fire and let the flames light the dark living room, somehow making it less gaudy.

She knew he had come in, though he had been completely stealth. She didn't look his way. He didn't try to hide his presence any longer; he dropped his helmet on the L-section of the couch to her left and she heard him unzip his jacket and put it over the helmet.

She unwound her shoulders, closed her eyes and tilted her head back on the couch, the corner of her mouth stretching when she felt his big thumb caress her cheek and his hand cupped her jaw.

"Tomorrow, begins the fall of Bruce Wayne," he said. "Daggett will jump to take control of the board".

She slowly opened her lids and stayed transfixed by his dark eyes for a few moments. "Hopefully, tomorrow is the last day I ever lay eyes on John Daggett".

His pupils sparkled and she heard the deep rumble of his chuckle as he said : "Indeed, I hope it is". She replied with a small, almost childish laugh that made him circle her skin with his thumb again. Then, he grabbed a tissue on the table to her right, and wiped the lipstick from her lips, as gently as he could, reveling as he slowly wiped away the Miranda mask.

"Tomorrow will be an exhausting day," she told him, her hand grabbing his.

"Yes, and I am very tired," he replied with a sorrowful expression.

Talia pulled his hand away from her face so she could stand up and face him. She knew why he was here, so she led him to her bedroom.

He put the backpack on the bench at the end of her bed and pulled out a pair of cloth pants. She took off her dress and silk scarf, her earrings and the lacy undergarment that she had on. He took off his black sweater and waited until she came close. He then put it over her head and held it as she slid her arms through it. She was drowning in it, but it felt like a warm embrace and she crimpled up the fabric and brought it to her nose to smell him. He watched her again, with a glazed expression, then took off the rest of his clothing, even his back brace, and slipped on the loose pants and tied them at the waist.

He then stripped her large bed of the comforter and sheet, chose one pillow and threw the rest on the floor with the linens. He laid down on his back and welcomed her when she crawled to his side and nestled to him the way she had done hundreds of time – since the time when sleeping in unison had been a survival necessity, for warmth and protection in the pit, to when it had been a life necessity, in order to sleep soundly and only able to do so in one another's arms. They both hadn't slept peacefully in months, which was fine as they advanced in their plan, but tonight they would truly sleep.

She fussed around to find a position and he laughed again, until she hooked a leg around him and tucked her shoulder securely within the crest of his armpit, his arm against her back and his hand lying on her hip. She placed her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. Her elbow rested on his torso and she lifted her lower arm as her hand found the one he had raised and they laced their fingers together, their gaze still locked together, waiting for the other to drift off.

She knew he would be gone before dawn, that he would slip from her and she'd almost wake when his body would be wrenched from hers, that he'd brush her cheek and aid her back to sleep before leaving in silence. The loving heat that made this moment so perfect would fluctuate and turn cold at dawn, and she'd have to wake up as Miranda again. So, she wanted to feel him there as long as she could. She knew he would always wait for her to slumber first, despite any exhaustion, and it made her heart swell. Eventually, she fell into dreams, looking into the stars in his eyes, which shown even brighter than the ones they used to see from the well of the pit that had birthed them.

She fell sound asleep, and he followed soon after, like he always did… and always would.


	3. The Cost of the Fabric of Time

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : This time I wrote a bit of background to explore how their plan was evolving and the tension that can come from working separately. I've included dialogs from the movie (hopefully you'll recognize it), which I hope are accurate and don't make things more confusing. I've also searched the internet to get the names of the characters right - I'm crossing my fingers there are no embarrassing mistakes.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter**

* * *

**III. The Cost of the Fabric of Time**

Miranda was looking at a postcard decorated on the front by a piece of red ornate wool fabric she knew to come from Russia. It was one Bane had written her to let her know they had successfully retrieved Dr. Pavel – though not in those words. They rarely kept in touch by writing and when they did, such as to send a phone number or short instructions, it was always summarily destroyed after the first read. However, she couldn't destroy this and found herself reading it often to quell the solitude when she and Bane were separated for long periods of time.

They had tracked Dr. Leonid Pavel for nearly two years, as he was under heavy scrutiny following his paper on weaponized fusion energy the year before. Miranda had already been in Gotham a few years and had only met Bruce Wayne a handful of times at the beginning of her involvement with the Clean Energy project, but she didn't make an impression on him. It was like he didn't even see her, his eyes glazed over by his grief over the murder, she had learned, of his childhood friend, and (she could put it together herself) his great love. Talia learned that the woman named Rachel was a strong and idealistic ADA (_now we know what turns you on Mr. Wayne,_ Talia had thought) who had perished during the Joker's reign of terror. Unable to gain access to Bruce Wayne for those years, she had catered a friendship with Lucius Fox, who found her genuinely lovely. In turn, she admired his intelligence and regretted his association with Wayne.

So it was Fox who, after years of research and development, had told her and the board that the reactor was having problems. When she had called Bane that night, he was the one who informed her of Pavel's essay and she suspected that the sudden problems with the reactor and the Russian scientist's findings were correlated. She was later convinced they were when Wayne completely shut down the project, saying the reactor didn't work.

"The reactor works, I'm sure of it. He is just afraid it could be weaponized," she told Bane, who was across the world.

"No doubt. However, Dr Pavel's finding have enhanced our prospects considerably," he added, his voice more metallic than ever through the satellite phone he was using. "I have been reading his research," he continued. "Though a bomb was not initially in our plan, it could prove useful during the reckoning. It would be a threat that could loom and aid in our purging of that damned city's soul," he concluded absently, as if speaking to himself.

"Then we need Dr. Pavel," she declared firmly, knowing this would mean they would be separated for several more months.

"We do," he answered without emotion, and they both stayed on the line in silence for a few moments before she said: "See you soon brother," and hung up.

It would have been too risky to spell out how he planned to do it, but Bane kept her apprised of his progress, of the CIA involvement and of the need to use their plane. Finally, six months ago, she had read online that Pavel had died in a plane crash and waited for news from Bane. It came in the form of a postcard, written in French.

Since the best lies are rooted in reality, Miranda Tate's back-story involved a French mother when, in fact, it was her father, Henri Ducard (as Ra's al Ghul was known before the League of Shadows), who thought her his language. Her assistant therefore was easily convinced it was from a relative when she handed it to her boss with some excited curiosity, since it was the only personal postcard Miranda Tate ever received. On the back, there was a French translation of a Byzantine poem that meant:

"_Never fear my child, for your broTher will return riding A steed that brought him to the goLden road you had poInted out, and he shAll bring you the sun with which to turn your world to gold."_

It wasn't signed but his hand was unmistakable as well as the way he had subtly capitalized a _T_, two _A_'s, an_ L_ and an _I_, seemingly randomly, on five different words. The postmark of the day after the crash made her press the card to her heart, relieved that he had succeeded in abducting Pavel and staging his death. Half a year had passed, but it still had the same effect on her now.

* * *

Her morning had been bitingly cold when she woke up alone as Miranda, covered in her comforter rather than Bane's sweater. Her day had brightened considerably, however, when her assistant had told her Mr. Fox wanted to talk to her urgently. She made a point of waiting a good 20 minutes before she dialed up the Wayne Enterprise CEO, savoring each second while looking at the postcard she always kept in her desk drawer.

She had seen the headlines of the ruin of Bruce Wayne. Though events at the stock market could eventually be used to invalidate yesterday's trade, the board would push to remove him. He had been a recluse ever since the failure of the Clean Energy project, after spending most of the previous years in a moribund state. At best, he seemed disinterested in his company and, at worst, he seemed like a reckless incompetent.

She had tried to see him during his withdrawal from society, but was always turned away by his loyal butler Alfred, who, like Fox, took a shine to her. She had only recently seen Bruce again at her masked ball, when he came out of hiding. Now, he needed her to prevent losing his company to John Daggett. She was his only hope and she was going to make sure she was a bright a shiny hope for a new beginning.

She called Fox and agreed to meet him. She knew it would be about the reactor when he wouldn't give her details, and she was completely giddy, but hid it fairly well.

She feigned a bit of skepticism and slight surprise when the floor of the construction trailer started to lower them under the river. It stopped over the steps leading to the underwater bunker where the reactor was. There, they found a decidedly springier Bruce at the computer attached to the machine, as he turned and said: "I thought you might like to see what you investment bought".

Talia tried to keep the doe-eyed optimist front of Miranda, but her stride was a bit too confident and a tone too sharp, her expression almost knowing when she recounted Pavel's work and how it had derailed the project, and told Bruce he had to trust the world and that trusting her didn't count because he had no choice. He looked so sincere when he said he chose to trust her that she had to control herself not to burst out laughing.

Fox and Wayne asked her to take over the board so the reactor didn't fall into the wrong hands. Lucius told her about the power source needed, showed her how to turn it on, that it would need three Wayne Enterprises board members, including the chair and CEO, and showed her how to activate the emergency flood to destroy it in case of a security breach. She would have imagined a very serious Miranda but she couldn't play her that way, so she played up her joy by showing her passion for the project. She saw the twinkle in Bruce's eyes. He was starting to see a Rachel in her, a woman who was passionate to save the world like him.

Both men were so grateful she said yes that they didn't even pay attention as she circled the reactor, gliding her hands over it, and eventually stuck a self-adhesive transmitter to the back of it. Now they simply had to get the Wayne board to back her instead of Daggett.

* * *

Bane went to John Daggett's apartment as soon as Talia had called and simply told him: "the reactor is ours". He was waiting out of sight when Daggett burst in with his VP, Stryver, screaming to know how Miranda Tate had gotten the inside track and gained control of the Wayne board. "Is she sleeping with him?" he asked his subordinate about Wayne – which darkened Bane's mood (Daggett would pay for that comment as if he willed it into existence).

"Where the hell is that masked…" yelled Daggett and the masked mercenary made his presence known, steadily holding his military jacket. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear…" he said in a low, aged voice. Daggett started mouthing off so Bane told Stryver to leave them. After failed posturizing by Daggett, the other man left as Bane dropped the side of his heavy hand on Daggett's shoulder and asked, in an amused but menacing voice, "Do you feel in charge?"

A shaken Daggett reminded Bane of the fortune he had paid him, to which Bane responded incredulously: "And this gives you power over me?"

"What is this?" a stunned Daggett exclaimed.

"Your money and infrastructure have been important… until now" Bane calmly answered as he slowly wrapped one of his large hands around the man's neck and the other over his mouth, then proceeded to destroyed his jaw, before stepping on his head with his heavy booth when his body hit the floor.

Barsad had come in with two other mercenaries, after having crossed a fleeing Stryver (who didn't even make eye contact). They grabbed Daggett's body to go dispose of him in the dumpster.

Right after they had left the room, Bane was still standing erect in the same place he had been since killing Daggett. After a moment, he said: " You can come out now," and Miranda Tate appeared.

"How long did you know I was here?" she asked, approaching his back, her hand in her pockets.

"Not long. You are still very good at moving undetected," he conceded.

"I am the shadows," she smugly declared.

"Wearing 200 dollars earrings and six inch pumps," he replied mocking her. He still hadn't turned to look at her. She knew he hated Miranda Tate, that the socialite disgusted him and he often laid slight accusations that she liked being her. He was wrong. She was dead when she was Tate; she was simply an imitation of that dead Rachel, for the sake of Wayne. She hadn't forgotten she was Talia Al Ghul, the Shadows that his men knew was heir to the Demon Head, from whom Bane had taken the League of Shadows, and she wasn't going to have him forget it.

She leaped like a tigress, grabbed his shoulder as a pivot, escaladed his back and put her left hand securely on the tubing of his mask, so she could tug them apart, while her right hand pressed a knife on his throat. "You throw me down and I pull off the tubes," she whispered in his ears with a sly smile.

He laughed out loud and walked back, ramming her against a metallic shelving unit, while applying pressure on her left wrist, and yanked her arm off of his mask. She never had any intention of tearing off the tubes so she forfeited.

"Your attack was weak," he told her, this time with more joy, as she rubbed her wrist and head, now back on her feet behind him. "You took on an opponent that you can not defeat physically," he continued, "and you were unwilling to use my weakness against me… because of our history," he declared finally turning to face her with a severe gaze. "How will you fare with Mr. _Wayne_" he spat out, insisting on the last name, "when your history with him confuses your purpose… or is the final blow intended for me?"

He was referring to the part of the plan they disagreed on, the part of the seduction and creating "history" (Bane's euphemism for intimacy) with their enemy. He was also silently saying that it would be an injury to the soul, and that he would take any pain of the body, rather than that.

"He is nothing more than all the other men before: dead men walking," she answered defiantly.

"Nothing more", he repeated with a sarcastic laugh.

She looked away, pressing her lips together so as not to escalate the argument.

"I have seen you, little one, become a cold, unrelenting killer," he told her in a low, controlled voice. "I've seen you whore yourself to the filth of the world, all for our ideals. For our cause, the price of your innocence, I could almost accept. But laying with a traitor who was to be destined for you and who destroyed your father will kill everything that I knew of the girl in the Pit…and what will remain?" he asked breathing heavily.

"We've both turned cold, giving everything to the shadows, until we are consumed by it. What remains of me, and you, will be the fire we reignite," she said breathlessly, grabbing his collar and looking at him with wide eyes, trying to search for his warmth, the one he had for her the night before.

He stayed of stone, his hands purposefully not touching her.

She took out a transmitter out of her pocket and handed it to him " You'll be able to locate the reactor. You'll need three board members to activate it. Once the reactor is turned into a bomb, it will become increasingly unstable by removing it from the power source."

"I know. I calculated 5 months… enough to torture the very soul of Gotham. THAT is the true calling of the League of Shadows," he sneered, "above all else." He ended by grabbing the transmitter without even brushing her fingers.

"Gotham will fall… and so will Bruce Wayne. He'll be yours very soon," she promised in a raspy, seductive voice, pursing her lips as she pressed herself against him.

"Ah yes, after he is yours…" he said in an amused tone that made her feel ridiculous.

"I do it for the League, brother," she reaffirmed, losing her composure.

"And the League thanks you…" he finished in a mocking tone, turning from her, then he walked away.

She stood there, watching him leave, not knowing what to say. He stopped before he reached the door and turned his head slightly sideways. "There is more than one way to reach one's end Miss Tate," he called her that on purpose. "I don't need you to get Bruce Wayne to come for me."

She glared at him but said nothing.

He tuned back his head towards the door, but pulled out a red scarf from his jacket and dropped it on the chair beside the entrance, without another word or gaze, then he exited.

Talia let him leave and then walked over slowly and took the scarf made of rough crimson yarn. She rolled her fingers over it. Her eyes welled up as she yanked her long gray scarf and roughly put it in her pocket so she could rub the small red piece of fabric to her neck. He had knitted it for her. It was a curious pastime that allowed him to steady his hands when she wasn't there to do so. She hadn't worn one of his scarves in years and she wouldn't be able to in plain sight, but she promised herself that as soon as Bruce was taken care of - and she was going to take care of Wayne tonight – she would wear it over her pulse, so the fabric would remind her heart that the time passed as Miranda would never erase Talia.


	4. The Shadows Belong to Me

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : So a bit more background to lead up and see the first fight between Bane and Batman. I had to watch a LOT of youtube videos and I hope I did it justice.**

**Hope you enjoy**

* * *

**IV. The Shadows Belong to Me**

Bruce Wayne slipped away, thinking she was asleep. By the time Miranda got up to follow him, he had already disappeared in his dark mansion. She wasn't surprised; they had the same training and knew how to vanish. The seduction had been complete but he hadn't agreed to come away with her, so she would not be able to deliver him to Bane tonight, and she suddenly felt nauseous at the thought of bedding her father's killer again to accomplish it. She was also unsuccessful in finding his secret passageway. She knew he had one, somewhere that led to the Batman's lair. She would have to be patient, just like she had been when spending time with Lucius Fox.

* * *

She had spent many hours in Fox's office, delighting him with light conversation while expertly touching and exploring his furniture as they discussed business affairs. She walked around, making sure she wasn't too overt until her fingers grazed a certain section of the bookshelves and she detected the teensiest bit of tension from a throbbing vein on Fox's forehead. Anybody would have missed it, but she didn't. She knew he had been afraid of her finding something.

She eventually was able to plant a tiny camera, replacing the knob on the small antique suspended clock on Lucius's desk, making sure it would have the sight of the bookcase. She spent weeks coming in and out at night to retrieve and replace the camera's minuscule memory chip. She would put it in a matchbox and would leave it on a trashcan, a windowsill or wherever at a designated time, and Barsad would reveal himself seconds after to take it to Bane so he could study the recording.

Finally, one night, she called and Bane simply explained: "There is a button under the corner of the top of the desk, to his right hand side from where he sits. It opens the bookcase." He hung up and she threw the phone in a dumpster. That night, Talia entered the office undetected yet again and saw the pane of the shelving unit slide sideways to open on a small metal elevator cabin. She took the camera and brought it with her, holding it slightly in front of her. The elevator eventually opened up to a large room where she found an armory filled with various vehicles, weapons and military gear that could equip an army… their army. An entire weapons division, totally off the books (_how sly are you Mr. Fox_, she thought, greatly entertained)

She even found a batsuit, probably a prototype (_so very loyal Mr. Fox, you keep ALL of Wayne's secret_). She examined the suit, played with it, found the weakness on the side and put it back with a satisfied grin. She placed a transmitter under a tumbler and left swiftly. She put the camera back in its place and took the memory chip. When she left the chip with the transmitter locator for Barsad on a bench in the park, she couldn't stop herself from turning around to look at him with a broad triumphant smile. He nodded with a slight smile of his own and left.

A week later, Bane's crew had started to make their home in the sewers, right under the armory, and he started recruiting lost souls for their cause. Some of them weren't true believers, but they didn't need to be; they just needed to serve until they were not longer useful.

* * *

Her patience had been rewarded then and could be yet again. She knew she could wait longer but she still felt impatient, especially after having slept with Wayne. When she was certain he wasn't going to return, she took out a phone from an inside pocket of her trench and called Bane nervously.

As soon as she heard his first breath, she admitted in a whisper: "He's left. I won't be able to bring him to you tonight". She heard a hiss on the other end and felt so very little.

"The Cat is bringing him to me. Your actions were futile," he answered with some venom. It stung all the more that Selina Kyle was going to be the one to deliver Bruce Wayne to Bane. Talia vowed then that she was going to gut that feline, slowly open her up, before this was over.

"Remember the plan," she simply stated and angrily threw her cell phone in the fire she had tended earlier. She eventually fished it out so Wayne wouldn't find it, though she laughed at herself for thinking it… Wayne would never be back. Still, her emotions were making her sloppy.

* * *

Bane waited in almost perfect stillness for the Batman to show up, holding his bulletproof vest to keep his fingers still. He had to control the rage, had to control his impulses, had to curb his jealousy. His brute strength could not overcome the tactical mind, as Ra's Al Ghul, his savior – his mentor and ultimately his own bane – had taught him. This fight would be his most important, not only for Talia, but also for Ra's. Though he had no love for the man who excommunicated him, he believed in the cause and he always felt he had been worthy of being the heir, with Talia (as they were one). Though they led the League of Shadows now, this would be proof that he had been wrongly set aside – when he broke the traitor, Ra's murderer, and then succeeded where Ra's had failed.

Barsad had successfully scared Miss Kyle into collaborating. The Bat was surprised by the Cat's betrayal (_good girl,_ Bane thought). Wayne was even more surprised that Bane knew his secret identity. He didn't show fear though. He rather looked quite determined. Foolish Bruce didn't know he was facing his reckoning. Bane let his adversary have a few swipes but then easily grabbed his punch.

"Peace has cost you your strength… victory has defeated you," Bane said half complacent, half surprised. He quickly started pounding and kicking him. Wayne retaliated and, again, Bane let him have a few hits, arrogantly let them land, until he started his assault again. The Batman fell from the passerelle and Bane followed his younger rival, climbing down a chain and punishing him even harder.

Batman tried a few of his tricks, throwing explosive powder around the mercenary, but Bane didn't flinch, he knew all too well about these illusions. Batman seemed to continue to underestimate him and Bane's anger was starting to growl again, but he kept it check.

He ridiculed Wayne's attempt: "Theatricality and deception… powerful agents for the uninitiated. But we are initiated – aren't we Bruce? Members of the League of Shadows..." Bane stated, no longer any mirth in his voice. His large palm grabbed the Batman's neck and lifted him up off the ground... "and you betrayed us," he accused with venom.

"You were excommunicated by a gang of psychopaths," replied Batman in a chocked voice. That reply hit Bane more than any punches would, for there were no analgesics to curb that pain: The memory of being cast out, being torn from Talia's embrace as Ra's al Ghul and a dozen ninjas of the order descended on him – targeting his mask – and threw him out in the vicious winter night without a coat, without his medicine and without half his soul.

Bane plowed him hard in the ribs and threw him aside, declaring that HE was the League of Shadows, here to fulfill Ra's al Ghul's destiny.

Batman was realizing just how dangerous his opponent was and charged forcefully, straddling Bane and punching him in the head. Bane followed the hits and head-butted him, then threw him aside again.

Bane got up slowly and praised the passion of youth his foe brought to the fight, but declared it mistaken.

Bruce killed the lights by pressing on a button on his utility belt, thinking the darkness would shield him. His arrogance was baffling; Bane had been born in darkness and had only seen the blinding light of freedom when he was already a man. The memory always brought back Talia, and the jealous anger started permeating his voice, losing control of the calm and collected tone, he spat out: "The Shadows betray you because they belong to _me_!" as he punched to break the mask (like Ra's had done to him), vocally claiming Talia as his, though Wayne would be none the wiser.

Bane recomposed himself and stepped away from the panting Bat. He decided to finally reveal to Bruce how foolish he had been, and he blew up the ceiling of the vault that was just under the armory. He relished Bruce's pained expression as he looked at the tumbler that fell down, realizing he would be an unwitting accomplice to Bane's nefarious plans. He tried a final lunge, but Bane grabbed him and pulled him over his head. He then brought him down hard on his knee, finally breaking his back. He tore off the damaged mask so that Barsad and the other mercenaries, who had stood witness without a word, could take in the complete defeat of Gotham's dark knight. Bane dropped the mask, not looking back, and directed two of his men to take Wayne away and prepare him for travel.

He told Barsad he would be back in a few hours. There was no rush, he had broken the Batman, but there was urgency in his heart to reclaim what his enemy had taken from him, without his permission. From then on, Bane told himself, Bruce Wayne would do nothing else without his permission… even die.


	5. Reclaim What is Yours

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : Thank you all again for reading and especially to those of you who took your precious time to comment. I'm overjoyed. This Chapter is rather smutty, but it aims to reveal more about them. However, if smut isn't your thing, you should completely skip this chapter.**

**Enjoy at your own risk**

* * *

**V. Reclaim What is Yours**

Bane had just entered Miranda's apartment and let his motorcycle jacket drop on the floor when he heard the shower turn off. He walked towards the master bathroom, wondering if he would surprise her or if she had known of his presence, like she usually did. He was having trouble focusing and controlling his movements following the rush of his victory and the lingering frustration of not having killed the man who touched her that same night.

It could have been the sound of his jacket hitting the floor or the sound of his breathing – or it could have been his heartbeat, which Talia felt always called out to her and alerted her to his presence, but she turned off the shower as soon as she felt him. She had not been in there long but had vigorously brushed off Bruce's touches until Miranda was also completely washed away. The only thing she had kept was the red scarf she had tightly wrapped around her elbow before she left Wayne's mansion. She had no plans to take it off and was secretly happy Bane would notice it right away on her nude body.

She got out of the shower, not taking a towel and stepped carefully out of the bathroom, her entire body dripping, and she turned towards Bane. She was a vision. To Bane's eyes, she grew more beautiful each day; she had been such a lanky, petite girl, then a small muscle-bound warrior. As Miranda, she didn't work out as much; the curves of her hips and now heavy breasts made her even more enticing; regardless of her changing body, though, it was always her eyes, in which he would drown if he could.

He was breathing fast and he was dirty and sweaty. She wondered if he had strayed and had killed Wayne, but she didn't even want to mention the name. In the course of her training, she had learned seduction and had to consummate with several men, but they never lived much more than a few days after the event, either killed by her during or right after the act, or, later on, destroyed by Bane… her hands had always been swifter and more merciful, but there would be no mercy for Bruce Wayne. Bane looked down at his hands a noticed there was still blood on his knuckles, the Batman's. He wiped them quickly on his pants, for nothing of Wayne's would ever touch Talia again.

"I come to reclaim what is mine, before I bring him home," he declared forcefully, after eyeing her fully. She was relieved he had stuck to the plan and kept him alive, but neither ever named Bruce Wayne. She wasn't surprised by his presence here tonight; whenever possible, Bane always took her after another man had touched her, wanting to erase the memory as fast as possible. She was always the one to initiate intimacy between them, except on those occasions, and he wouldn't be denied, nor would she ever deny him. Still, this time, it wasn't mere anger... it was fury.

"There is nothing to reclaim. He never owned me. No one owns me," she said to calm him. She paused when she noticed his brow furrow even more, his breathing still hard, not only out of lust, but out of desire for dominance and ownership. He did want to own her tonight. "I am you and you are me, how could he have claimed us?" she asked with a bit less conviction than she wanted.

He advanced slowly, but menacingly, his shoulders following his stride. He took off his bulletproof vest and looked positively predatory. She kept her posture, but every part of her body was titillated by the sight of his heaving chest. "He was starved for it," she said of Wayne, her voice trembling in anticipation. "He didn't even noticed I faked every moan… I could never fool _you_ that way," she declared with almost clenched teeth as she approached him.

"No, you could not," he affirmed in a growl reaching for her. He lifted her buttocks and she quickly surrounded his neck with her arms and his hips with her legs.

"And I will never have to," she said as he walked her to the bed before throwing her on it.

He forcefully spread her legs and knelt down to press his mask between them, trying to imagine her softness. As he always did in such cases, he examined her delicate folds to see if they had been damaged. They still looked like beautiful petals. He caressed them tenderly and pressed the tubing of his mask on them again. Talia responded by taking hold of her thighs so she could part her legs further, rocking her hips gently to rub herself against his muzzle; she was already wetter than she had been during Bruce's climax. She had not strictly told Bane the truth right before; her body had reacted to Wayne's touch, but it disgusted her so much that she had found no release.

Bane had fed before his fight with the Batman, so they wouldn't be removing the mask tonight. As during so many times before, he could only imagine having time to really taste her, but the thought was enough to harden him more. He shivered a bit when he felt her fingers trace the scar on his spine. He followed her body up, gently pressing the mask on her soft skin, trying to trace paths Wayne's mouth would have taken, looking for any mark. She continued caressing his back and his neck.

He unzipped his pants but didn't take them off and he let her feel him throbbing on her thigh, let her hips beg for his as he started to lose the tenderness and his caresses began to be harsher, leaving red marks on her skin, all the while looking into her eyes. She licked her lips as she felt his rough hands.

He drove three fingers in her and she had to shut her eyes completely. He didn't even need to stretch her; she already was eagerly awaiting him. He curled them upwards carefully stroking her wall, then pulled his hand out. She looked at him panting, moving her hips. He grabbed her wrists quickly so she couldn't reach down to him, brought both her arms above her head and held them with one hand. He could break them both just by squeezing. He pressed ever so slightly to make his point. She kept her determined look and he had a devilish smile she couldn't see since, on this rare occasion, it didn't transmit to his eyes.

His gaze was so feral, it frightened her a bit, but that only served to arouse her more. She started slowly moving her hips again, beseeching him. She raised her neck and kissed the mesh of his mask, pressing harder, licking the metal. She dropped her head back on the mattress, her breathing taxed by his weight, as he lowered his chest on her own.

He swiftly entered her. She didn't moan for him, didn't insult him that way. She just spread her legs further and invited him deeper. He was controlling his force, as always, but he was more brutal than usual. His hard thrust bumped her cervix – a deep kiss, he had called it when it first happened years ago (since then, she always hoped for them, despite any discomfort). When it happened a third time, she came undone, and he could feel her tightening over him, but he continued thrusting until she went limp. He slowed his cadence, letting her recuperate; reveling in the satisfied smile she gave him.

He freed her arms from his grip and put his elbows around her face to hold his mass as he continued rocking her gently. His fingers weaved themselves in the wet strands of her hair. She slid her arms under his and put her hands on his back brace and then started unfastening it while he kept his slow rhythm. She slowly rubbed his lower back and push back his pants over his hips to reach out to his buttocks and press them firmly, telling him to come join her in ecstasy, but he continued his motion, taking the time to feel her tight, warm embrace. He always had great stamina, but he usually liked to follow soon after her peak. He wanted something different tonight. She kept a very slight smile as she watch his scrutinous stare. He seemed like he was searching her face for something. She lifted her head again to kiss his mask. She knew he couldn't feel it, but she wanted him to feel how so very much she preferred the hard metal, now warmed by their heat, to any other man's soft mouth.

He still had his quizzical expression and continued slowly moving in her, his hands in her hair. She tried reaching down to pleasure him but he quickly grabbed her arm and pulled it away and then he pulled out of her. She let a gasp escape her as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened with him leaving her too suddenly. He kept a knee on the bed, his breathing making a clicking sound and he watched her, his eyes still frowning, while he held her hand away from him.

She sat up and tried to bring her mouth to finish him off, but he turned her on her right side and he laid parallel behind her, sliding his hand on her back, over the small scar Bruce Wayne had touched hours earlier. When then she had quivered in disgust, now it reignited her passion, with his body pressed closely to hers when his large hand slid her towards him. Bane put his big arm under her head for support, then lifted her left leg perpendicularly. She grabbed the inside of her knee to hold it up, bent, as he reached down to position himself to reconnect with her again, having lost none of his vigor. He started speedily plowing forth while his hand traced every contour of her, filling her with trepidation.

This was still about Bruce Wayne, she realized. This was about besting him here as well. How could he not know only her body had reacted to Wayne's touches while Bane stirred her heart, her mind and her soul. He wanted to prove he could give her everything she needed – she knew that, but he needed to prove it to himself. His hands stopped exploring her but his hips continued to move. He was lost in thought. Her mind quickly conjured up her father, with no shame at the idea that he could perhaps see her now from the afterlife. She couldn't have found a better mate and he had been wrong not to see it; she hoped he could see everything Bane did to her.

Bane was similarly thinking of Ra's, his anger being replaced by a smug satisfaction that his former mentor had not only failed in his mission in Gotham, but had failed in choosing Bruce as an heir and prospect for his daughter. Despite all of Ra's efforts, he was still bound to Talia, and she willingly gave herself to him... and they were going to succeed in purging the world of Gotham's filth, together.

The only sounds audible were their breathing and the wet slapping of their flesh, which Talia concentrated on to stop thinking of her father. She rubbed the side of Bane's neck while looking at him with craving, pinching the back of his neck so his attention would come back to her. She saw his eyes focus again and his free hand glided down her side to start stocking her. He brought her up again to the apex where she quickly fell over and she hoped, when she opened her eyes, that he would have followed her.

He still didn't let himself get satisfaction and rolled on his back. He put his legs up, his boots on her bed. He curled the arm he still had under her head to bring her to him. She quickly regained her senses; though she was still shivering from her climax, she straddled him, positioning him beneath her and laying on his raised thighs and knees to support herself as she slowly glided down to engulf him once more. She was now raw, but she would endure any pain for him, as he had done and still did for her. She'd let him consume her if it would prove tonight that she was his, if it gave him the answer he was looking for in her face.

He caressed her delicate, sensitive mound and started circling her button to help on. She was biting her lower lips and looked at him lustfully, realizing he was mesmerized by the sight of them being connected. She arched back to his thighs so she was slightly inclined to give him a better view of their fusion. She put up her own feet, and adopted a squatting position to help, braced herself by wrapping both elbows around his knees; after she had let him absorb the notion of her being his appendage, she started rolling her hips fiercely, biting her lips to stay silent.

"There is no reason for silence now…" he said in a broken voice. His eyes almost pleading when she looked at him. She had said she had moaned for Wayne, he wanted to see that he could make her moan for real this time. Her teeth let go of her lower lip and she let out a raspy breath and then started making little yelps. The sounds were liberating and he started grunting loudly, like he never had, and that excited her even more. It was like a primal scream when she finally vocalized her pleasure. She had never screamed so loud and she was ecstatic, but she wanted him to climb with her. The sounds they made were unearthly. They didn't care if all of Gotham heard them; they were free now, together, and one.

He sat up and she cupped his lower back, worried it might cause him pain but he stood up so she wrapped her legs around his waist to stay with him, kissing his neck while he brought her to the wall. He pressed his forearm to the wall so she wouldn't hit her head and steadied himself with his other arm as he continued their loud sparring.

"Follow me," she begged in between two shrieks, in the dialect they shared from the Pit and during private moments. She started trashing, driving her nails in his shoulders, biting his neck, her toes curling and uncurling for the fourth time. He put a thumb to her cheek to turn her head towards him so she would look into his eyes.

"I broke him," he told her as he sprinted the end and she immediately smiled with glee and toppled over again into bliss. Seeing her unadulterated reaction of elation at the hearing of Wayne's destruction was what he had been searching for in her face. It finally unraveled him and he followed her into oblivion, completely filling her. They then fell on the floor, utterly spent.

After a few moments of catching their breath, their bodies intertwined on Miranda's floor, Talia started kissing all of his chest and up to his neck, nibbling at him again, which made him laugh. She rubbed her fingers on the bruises from his fight with the batman and carefully kissed them. She touched the damage skin on his bare skull, while his eyes smiled back at her.

Looking at him intently, she reached down a brought his hand with hers so they would both caress her and laced her fingers with his as she pressed them inside. When she took them out, she brought both hands to her mouth and slowly tasted them together. His chest heaved heavily; he yearned to do the same. He gently wiped her lower lip with this thumb, and she kissed his mask again.

"I liked hearing you," she confided with a broad smile. "And I, you," he answered happily.

She chuckled and he chuckled back. His Talia hadn't been destroyed; she was here, and she was his… just like he was hers.

He made a move to stand up – he had to go – and her smile disappeared, a pout almost forming. She held on to him, though she knew they needed to part yet again.

His eyes widened when he noticed the beating her body had taken, paying no mind to his own bruises. He looked at her and lowered his eyes in shame. She would have none of that; every single bruise, she cherished, and he had no shame to ever feel. She covered his eyes with kisses to make her point. He lifted her up easily and gently pulled the covers to lay her on Miranda's bed. He fastened his pants and she quickly made a move to grab the back brace they had left on the bed, to help him put it back on. He played with her dark strands of hair as she did so. "Wait" he said in their dialect.

He left her to go to the bathroom and she heard him open cabinet doors and turn on the tap. He brought back a bottle of iodine, a wet towel and a dry one. He dried her up with the dry towel and she did the same for his chest and back, while he opened the bottle of iodine and proceeded to cover her bruises. She sighed, which made him laugh. There was no dissuaded him, but as soon as he had finished, she took the bottle and did the same for him. He rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly, which made her giggle in turn. She looked so young and innocent when she laughed that way. He was smiling broadly at the scene.

He put her back to bed and gently put the cold wet towel between her legs to soothe her battered skin. "I don't want to be numb," she protested, but she couldn't move his hand.

He started to untie the red scarf on her elbow but this time she would stop him. "It is too much of a risk that someone might see and ask," he calmly explained.

"I want it close to my heartbeat" she answered in a tiny voice that made him want to forget about the plan and cuddle her, but he simply undid the knot and then wrapped the scarf to her thigh, as close to her femoral artery as possible. She smiled completely content. He put the comforter over her, and she lay back on the pillow.

"I will leave now," he stated before standing up to grab the rest of his things.

She watched him from the bed while he put the vest back on, his back to her.

"I always miss you," she said in a low, sad voice (more vulnerable than it had been in years) that made him turn around.

"The Shadows are always with me, and I with them," he answered with some emotion filtering through the mask.


	6. Truth is Deception you Choose to Believe

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : So both Talia and Bane (as well as the rest of us) have taken time to cool down after their torrid night in order to go back to the mission. This is a bit of a reminder of how ruthless and cunning they are, despite their devotion to their cause and to one another.**

**I got a bit distracted last week with "As I Slowly Fall into You", which I wrote after a request in the review section, but I really enjoyed it and wouldn't mind exploring other aspects of their lives outside of this tale. So let me know if you want on-offs.**

**Have a good read!**

* * *

**VI. The Truth is a Deception you Choose to Believe**

Miranda had called in sick for two days following Bane's departure. It wasn't the physical strain – she had a very high tolerance to pain; she wouldn't allow the emotional toil to get her down either. It was simply Talia who was screaming to get out and to tear this second skin apart, but it was not yet time… not yet. For the sake of pretenses, Miranda had dutifully called her assistant before the morning light and then had called Lucius Fox to enquire about Bruce Wayne's whereabouts. Fox wasn't yet alarmed by his absence as Bruce had a tendency to disappear for some periods of time. She stayed in character during their talk and she made an extended pause after saying: "He just didn't say goodbye last night…," so that Lucius would deduce that she and Wayne had been intimate. She knew he was smart enough to do so, even if he had been blind to her subterfuge.

"I'm sure he'll be back shortly Miranda," he said encouragingly. She then took advantage of the complicity she had created to ask him to go to London for her that day. She had arranged for one of her League agents to pretend to be an expert on sustainable energy who wanted to talk with Wayne Enterprises. She weakened her voice as she explained this expert had very little time and she couldn't reschedule, so it would be best if another high-ranking board member went in her stead. Since she was the new head of the board and she was so convincingly ill, Lucius didn't refuse. He didn't even make a fuss when she told him the plane was leaving in less than two hours. She hung up, secure in the thought he would not have time to go to Wayne Tower and see the armory.

Talia spent her two sick-days in the apartment beside her fireplace, keeping the fire burning and crinkling. She went over the plan in her head... wondering about Bane in the Pit and how it was going with Wayne, but mostly revisiting all of the moments she had spent with her protector.

After her short repose, she finally emerged again as Miranda Tate on the third day. As soon as she stepped out of the front door, her neighbor, Mrs. Pratt (a widow whose curiosity often veered towards nosiness), got out of her own apartment, almost as if she had been spying to see when Miranda would step out.

"Ms Tate, I am so happy to see you up and about."

Talia, had to take a moment before she turned around and faced Mrs. Pratt with the ever-cordial face of Miranda.

"Mrs. Pratt, how are you?"

"I'm fine dear," replied the elderly and much bejeweled woman. "I've been worried about you," she continued in an overly affected tone.

"I've been ill," Miranda answered simply.

"I knocked on your door yesterday," the widow insisted. Talia had heard the distant noise, but hadn't even gotten up to go see what it was.

"Did you now? I'm must not have heard it. I've been bedridden," she explained with an apologectic pout, then she tried to move towards the elevator but the short woman blocked her.

"Oh lord, poor dear. I must say, I was so worried about you... we heard dreadful noises a couple of nights ago! I thought of calling Mr. Zing to go see. I was afraid it was a home invasion," she went on, her eyes wide open.

Talia conjured up her most convincing grateful smile to stop from grinning too largely at the memories of that night. "I am so sorry you were worried. I simply left the television on and fell asleep on the remote, it must have cranked up the volume. I was already feeling queasy and I slept right through it. I do apologize."

"Oh, no need dear. I was thinking someone had passed security and that Jamie didn't see them... you know, one of those vagrants...," Mrs. Pratt continued blabbing as Miranda walked around her and finally made it to the elevator, shaking her head, giving approving nods and smiling. "Imagine, if those kinds of people came in, it's not safe anywhere it this city," Mrs. Pratt exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

"Don't worry. The city is quite safe," Miranda said as the doors were closing… _for now_, she then thought.

* * *

Wayne was screaming out all of his pain. Bane had left him in a cell, broken physically and emotional as the fallen knight realized the torture awaited not only him, but Gotham as well. Bane was triumphant, but he felt exhausted; his eyes had glazed over when he told Wayne he would torture his soul, let him simmer in the depth of his own failure to save his city. They were in the Pit, where Talia was born and where he, himself, had come after being born in another remote prison. After so many years of incarceration in the dark, he had been blinded by the sun when they dragged him to the hole and he did not remember the outside world for a long time, nor thought much of it during his imprisonment in this hell on earth. He had owned this prison for years now. It was home, but it was harsh.

He remembered the despair he had felt after he had found hope in Talia. Before that, he had simply existed, had tried to escape but without any real conviction, had learned from other convicts, had built his body for survival, but with no real yearning for another life. When he took the child with him, she became his light for which to strive, and he started hoping for a life outside… for her and with her. When he saw her make the jump and leap to freedom, he welcomed the beating from the mob, for it was worth it. However, not being able to protect her outside, not knowing if she survived, and her absence.. that is when he truly tasted despair. It was that despair that made him hope for death, but he was even too weak to bring it upon himself. One day, his light found him again in the dark – when she came back. They both now lived in the shadows, needing only each other for light.

Bane noticed he had been staring blankly as one of his men was holding the rope for him to climb and it took him a minute to take it. The man averted Bane's gaze and simply continued holding the rope until his leader took it. Bane started his ascent. Every time he made the climb again, assisted by the rappelling ropes, he was reminded of how he had never escaped this pit, and probably never would.

* * *

Bane had not been in contact for four days, though the trip with Wayne must have taken less than 36 hours. Miranda had done her part so that Lucius was away from the office at all times, spending a lot of time at the reactor, talking about business ideas... anything to keep him away from the office and the armory. It would be difficult to keep this up. Finally, she received a phone call at her office and was surprised to hear Barsad's voice. She wouldn't say it, but she hoped he was merely going to pass the phone over to Bane, but he didn't. He simply told her: "It's time to call a board meeting," and that is what she did.

She had sighed heavily when she and Lucius walked in the boardroom and found Bane standing at the head of the board table, surrounded by armed men. Lucius was too astonished to notice the small twitch of her mouth that wanted to spread into a smile. She had subtly lifted an eyebrow in a silent question about the plan. Bane's swift nod before marching towards them was the only confirmation she would get for now that Bruce Wayne would have to suffer the slow torture of seeing his beloved city in ruin before he finally died. The imposing man guided her, Lucius and Mr. Thompson – who had volunteered to be the third board member – underground.

She was first and she followed Bane at a distance, looking at his broad back. She knew her gaze tensed him up; both were trying to not overtly look at each other. His fingers were twitching. She so wanted to reach out and steady them, but she kept up the pretense of fear, though Lucius wasn't really paying attention. She even got away with an unnoticed smile at Lucius's defeated face when he realized Bane had accessed the armory.

Fox was in for an even greater shock when the mercenaries blew an entrance to the reactor chamber. Bane had stood solidly in front of her, shielding her from the blast, but she still acted stunned.

He was so commanding, when he threatened Mr. Thompson and Barsad put a gun to the poor man's head as Lucius, ever loyal, said he wouldn't turn on the reactor. Mr. Thompson just dropped on his knees and waited for the gun to fire. She countered: "Alright stop!" as Bane was signalling to shoot. She turned towards Lucius Fox and pleaded: "Lucius, you will kill this man, and you'll barely slow them down," trying to infuse her voice with sadness and sympathy. She then walked to the computer next to which Bane was standing, and she gave him a quick glance, which he returned without turning his head. He kept his hands on the collar of his military jacket, to prevent himself from touching her.

She half-expected Lucius to turn on the emergency flood and she almost burst out laughing at the thought of both Bane and herself dying, drowned at the dawn of their liberation. Fox was too shell-shocked to think of it. They ignited the reactor and Dr. Pavel was summoned to transform it into a bomb... their instrument of liberation.

At Bane's command, his men spirited all three of them away and she couldn't help but look back. He didn't turn again but she was sure his eyes had followed her when he sat down and waited for Pavel to finish his work. He looked tired, and that worried her.

* * *

The three board members had been taken back to Wayne Tower when they heard the detonations. One of the armed men turned on a television set for them to watch the events unfold. She knew it would be filmed and that they had wired the feed so it would take over the news channels. The site was the destroyed football field, where they saw Bane finally out in the open (_as he was always meant to be_, Talia mused). He was wearing the long sheepskin coat she had given him years ago and he cut a frightful silhouette. He presented the reactor as a nuclear bomb, which only Dr. Pavel could diffuse. Bane thanked the doctor, then killed him with his hands. The crowd squeeled in terror.

Talia forgot herself again and smiled and muffled a laugh - she was so fired up by the spectacle. She quickly got her senses back when she saw Fox's confused expression. She laughed nervously as her eyes quickly started forming a few tears, improvising a small meltdown. She only wept as Miranda, but she had practice dutifully all these years, so she could summon the waterworks in seconds.

"Look what we've done Lucius… we've given them a bomb," she whispered in fake panic.

Lucius looked at the mercenaries who were staring at them and hugged Miranda. "I'm so sorry Miranda, I should have activated the emergency flood."

Poor lost man, Talia thought. Miranda regained her composure and sniffed up her tears. "We both should have Lucius…," she declared sympathetically.

She heard Bane's booming voice telling the terrified spectators about the triggerman being an anonymous Gothamite. Talia immediately touched inside her right pocket where Barsad had indeed slipped the detonator sometime when they were down near the reactor. She quickly withdrew her hand and continued listening to Bane's speech as he was telling the citizens to go back to their families, to keep them close (she wished she was closer to hers right then) and to take back the city.

They heard a radio transmission to one of they captors and he then told them: "You are free to go home."

"Miranda," Lucius started, "perhaps you should come live with me for the time being."

She did the damsel in distress look to perfection. "Perhaps, but I have to go to my office and apartment to get a few things."

"I'll go with you," he offered.

"No, please use the time to try to contact Bruce," she answered with urgency.

She noticed a hint of despair in his eyes but he quickly brushed it away, worried about her concern.

"Here is my address and the entry code. I'll check in with people I know and I'll head straight there afterwards."

Miranda nodded, then went to the parking garage to find her car. The city was already falling into panic. She made it to her office tower and found the place deserted. She quickly darted to her desk to retrieve Bane's postcard and she left. People were running in all directions, screaming and crying. She found the security desk vacant.

* * *

Bane had left the football field with instructions to his men to secure the bomb in one of three identical trucks. He got information from another cell of his men that the Wayne Enterprise board members had disperse and went home so he headed to Miranda's place, using the service elevator from the basement and then the back stairs, which none of the wealthy residents ever used.

He waited for her, hoping he had correctly predicted she would come back to the appartment. When she finally opened the door, he revealed himself immediately. Their separation since their last night had felt longer than usual. Now, they were finally alone, with little time, but they were frozen nonetheless.

She made small steps towards him and he stayed still. She got up to him and took his huge collar in her hands, looking at him with an adoring gaze. He quickly grabbed her waist and pressed her to him. She started nibbling and kissing his throat while her hands caressed the back of his neck and his own hands got tangled in her dark locks.

They were lost in their embrace and didn't pay attention to the knock on the door. Their schedule was tight, but Bane was thinking of revisiting their last night, the memories making his skin hot under her touch, and making him forget his surroundings. They didn't look at the intruders until they heard Mrs. Pratt prattling to the concierge, telling him about how she was worried about Miranda Tate.

The old lady yelped when she saw Miranda in the masked man's grasp. The concierge, Mr. Zing, just stood there with his jaw slackened. The shadow assassins assessed their prey and made good use of their surprise. More quickly than either Mrs. Pratt or Mr. Zing could have time to see, Talia had closed the door and Bane was in Front of Zing and quickly snapped his neck. Talia used a reassuring tone with Mrs. Pratt when she told her: "You don't have to worry anymore." It was true, the rich woman was going to die with everything she owned – a quick death, no reckoning, not even true realization; she opened her mouth to speak, but Talia had already slit her throat with the retractable pocketknife she had been carrying in her boot. It took just a few moments for Mrs. Pratt's body to realize it was dying and fall on the floor. Talia did not look at the corpses that littered her hallway. She looked at her friend and joyfully went back to his arms.


	7. A Dance of Fools

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : Almondjoy90, ForeverReadRed, MonDieu666, Lufthexe, Belle de Sainte Ange, Marisela... I already sent you private messages but I wanted to express my gratitude again for taking the time to send those encouraging words. Nosta, Maria, Gigi, Kristen, and M... since I can't thank you privately, I'd like to thank you here for your kindness. I'm so happy you are enjoying the story.**

**This chapter aims again to delve into how they managed their plan and to give an interpretation of how things happened to explain certain events in the movie, as well as explore the tenderness and the shifting balance of power between them.**

**Let me know if you'd like to read about other times with Bane & Talia, when they weren't in Gotham**

* * *

**VII. A Dance of Fools**

Her tongue darted between his mutilated lips, once he had settled into their crashing kiss. It was foolish to remove the mask for such a trifle as a kiss; they didn't have time and he would need his strength, but Bane had insisted on taking half of his injection. He told her that he had taken all of his protein, lipid and vitamin supplements in the morning and could do without solid food. He didn't even want her to clean his wounds or his mask; he just wanted to kiss her. They had carefully put the mask on the countertop and he had sat her up on it so his mouth would be roughly at the same height as hers. He had given her a peck at first, the painkillers not yet soothing the vivid pain. She knew the dosage was too small and it wouldn't really give them half of the usual time. They had but a few minutes for their dance, a few minutes for her skin to imprint on his and their saliva to mix. The intensity of their celebratory smooch was enough to start a fire in their groins. They didn't have time to lose themselves in one another that way, but they could savor this contact. Talia put her arms around his neck to press him harder towards her, gently stroking the back of his neck while he petted her mane.

His breathing got more ragged and she faintly heard the alarm they had set, but their mouths wouldn't heed. They only parted when he fell to his knees in front of her, his eyes wet. He let out a low hiss and he shut his eyelids tightly. She held his face in her hands, her thumbs lovingly caressing the scars on his cheeks, while his fingers chipped a piece of her countertop.

"You're beautiful," she told him before kissing him again on the mouth and then putting his mask back into place. She was relieved when she saw the lines on his face relax and his eyes open again. He stayed on his knees for a while. He cupped her hips in his large hands and rested his head on her thigh. She covered his scalp with kisses as he recuperated, feeling blessed that he allowed her to see this weakness in him.

It took him some time to get back on his feet and that worried her; he had seemed tired when she saw him down at the reactor. "How was it… back home?" she asked in regards to the Pit, stumbling somewhat on the last words.

She felt him tense up and he gave himself a push to stand up swiftly. "It went according to plan…" he responded without looking at her – lost in his thoughts. She caressed his shoulder and he finally turned his gaze towards her, but he wouldn't share what he was thinking. His hand started stroking her neck and she let her head fall to his touch. His hand traveled down her collarbone, gliding towards her breasts, but he stopped once his fingers touched the corner of the postcard Talia had shoved in her bra.

He took it out and looked at it with confusion, and then looked at her with a furrowed brow. It was a card he had sent to inform her of the successful abduction of Dr. Pavel months ago. He said nothing, but he was getting worried she was getting too sentimental. He noticed the composure of her face falter, the quivering of her throat and how she had stopped her hand from reaching out for the postcard. He was touched that she had kept it, but it was a silly gesture. It was her plan to stay in character till the end and here she kept something that could endanger it all.

He lightly squeezed her chin and then grabbed a lighter. He set the card on fire and let it burn to ashes in the sink. She goggled her eyes to make sure no water would escape them. She didn't protest, she knew he was right, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the flames.

"It is unwise to carry our souls in our pockets," Bane said in a deep voice. He then took a pad of folded sheets of paper from his coat and handed them to her. She took them distractedly, still looking at the card burn until she felt his hand tug at her elbow.

"The Police Commissioner should have burnt this," he explained.

She started to read Jim Gordon's confession of his cover-up of Harvey Dent's crimes, having praised a man who nearly killed his child to protect the image of Gotham's white knight, supplying the city with a false idol whose death spearheaded an unforgiving act that kept criminals affiliated with organized crime locked-up without parole.

"What do you intend to do with it?" she asked him, confused as to whether he brought this out to make his point about the foolishness of sentimentality or for a broader purpose.

"Read it to the people of Gotham of course."

"Unauthenticated ramblings of a guilt-ridden man?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A stalwart public figure unraveling and revealing the depth of corruption of Gotham's elite," he corrected her. "I have sent men to fetch him from his hospital bed so he can read his own words. The Commissioner has proven quite useful, especially when he decided to send most of his police force down in the sewers. As soon as my man inside learned of it, I had Barsad ask you to call for the board meeting," he revealed with some gaiety.

As eloquent as he was in public, Bane often remained taciturn around her, except when duty called for explanations. She delighted in every syllable he uttered. Bane always preferred to let Talia talk most of the time when they were alone as her voice was the only one he craved to hear. He could be a proud man, however, and he greatly enjoyed impressing her with his tactical mind and his sense of improvisation, which allowed him to calmly let men help in their own undoing (like Commissioner Gordon had done with his crazy plan to send every available cop underground).

"Even if he reads it for you, won't people feel he was coerced?" she asked (mostly to keep him talking).

She heard the warm roll of his laughter. "It doesn't matter what they believe, what matters is what the cameras will capture and transmit to the world. I will use it when I storm Blackgate Prison. The subsequent anarchy will be perceived as a people's revolution and the unemancipated will finally feel they have a stake to claim."

She saw his eyes crinkle deeply, evidence of a wide smile. He did like theatricality, perhaps even more than she did.

"I have to get ready. Miranda is supposed to go stay with Lucius Fox for a while," Talia abruptly said. They had to get back to the present and what needed to be done.

"When the liberation starts, even his home will be ransacked, as will this one," he deadpanned.

"I can take care of myself," she answered nonchalantly.

"Even as Miranda?" he asked pointedly, aware that she would risk blowing her cover if she revealed her fighting skills.

She pursed her lips without answering him and hopped off the countertop to go to her bedroom and start getting her things packed. Bane followed her silently and watched her arrange some clothes in a designer duffle bag.

She got out of her work trousers and blouse to put on a more sensible sweater. She was pulling up a pair of jeans when she felt his hand brush upward on her thigh and rub the red scarf tied around it. She froze – thinking he was going to burn that too – but she relaxed when his palm continued to caress the fabric and the adjoining skin. She let herself lean back towards him.

"The bruises still need to heal," he said tracing a particularly bluish hematoma on her pelvis, near her panty line.

"I hope they take their time," she told him, grabbing his hand and turning to face him.

"We'll be truly separated for a while," she said with intensity, knowing their communications would be limited.

"How long?" he simply asked.

"However long it takes for me to make sure Fox doesn't ridiculously try to incite a rebellion."

"I can make sure of that myself," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Fox is someone people look up to. We need him to nurture hope in others. Remember what father said about becoming more than a man, becoming a symbol? Fox can give someone else the means to become that symbol in the Batman's absence. If such a threat should occur, I will know of it right away. Gordon probably wasn't fool-hardy enough to send his entire force after you."

"Almost all of it. The Mayor was killed at the game. We will hunt down the remaining policemen."

"Remember, we must keep the citizens' hope alive, but that could inspire someone to rise against us," she said rubbing her hands on his chest, through the fabric of his sweater. "We need them to transcend before we purge the world of Gotham. You and I will birth a new world from the fire," she finished grabbing the collar of his black shirt, her eyes searching his for approval.

He didn't answer or nod. He knew how important rituals were for her father and for her, but he didn't completely agree with it and favored a more direct ruthlessness. There was no use in debating, so he simply handed her a short double-breasted navy wool coat. "This will be a better choice with the coming winter," he told her before he turned around to go towards the entrance. He had overstayed and needed to re-loop with Barsad to talk about communications and supplies during their occupation.

Talia pulled her pants all the way up and watched him leave the room, feeling a pang already in her chest.

He grabbed the bodies in the vestibule and threw them in Mrs. Pratt's apartment – breaking the door in the process – then came back to get the sheepskin coat he had left in Miranda's kitchen. Talia was holding it up for him. "In whichever building you find yourself, go to a window or an entrance facing South-East at 10:00 am sharp each morning. You can communicate with Barsad then," he commanded as he walked towards her. She nodded in agreement. He let her help him put his coat on and then went back to the door, stopping a few seconds to look at her and say "Farewell, Miss Tate". She tightened her lips and said nothing.


	8. The Price We Choose to Pay

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : Be forewarned that this chapter will be much more melancholic as Talia and Bane deal with their self-imposed separation and the continuation of their plan. **

* * *

**VIII. The Price We Choose to Pay**

Talia leaned on the kitchen door frame for a few minutes after Bane had left Miranda's apartment, allowing herself a moment of doubt, wondering if fulfilling her father's life work had been worth dedicating body and soul for the better part of a decade. Now that Gotham was in their grasp, Bane and she could have easily shed the pretense and be together. She didn't allow herself to question the plan in depth, but she did hesitate. She felt so empty in his absence. It was a heavy price they had paid to come to this, and she couldn't blame anybody else this time. She had imposed their prolonged separation and she had chosen to pay the price. She felt a chill go through her and found her arms weren't enough to warm her, so she let it shake her into moving forward, and she finished packing to go to Lucius Fox's apartment.

* * *

Bane had taken the elevator down and had gotten out by the front door of the building, no longer hiding. The few people he encountered scuttled away. He had radioed his men to come and meet him here. Though Talia felt she needed to continue to hide, he had enough of concealment. Despite this, he didn't feel very at ease in the bright light of day, so he fully intended to bring the shadows to Gotham. Once the tumbler arrived, he instructed one of the men to stay and track Miranda Tate's whereabouts, to make sure he knew where she was at all times, and who she was with. He impressed on the man the importance of not losing her trace by firmly squeezing his shoulder and plainly stating: "You lose her trace or something happens to her, and the other board members (he added for the sake of the charade), and I will kill you." It was unnecessary to say so, but Bane felt a man's loyalty deserved frankness.

He got into the tumbler and radioed Barsad, who was waiting at the Dent Bridge – so named in honor of the late DA, and the only one left intact after the detonation. They were waiting for a spokesperson from the army to discuss terms with regards to supplies and communications. While they had taken over the football stadium earlier, they had already posted armed men at the bridge. The people going to the Dent Bridge had been turned back and they assumed it was a military exercise. Bane blew up all the other bridges simultaneously. Some pour souls were unlucky enough to be at the site of the explosion while others, who were on the other side of the divide would never again set foot in Gotham. The ones stranded on the Gotham side of the bridges had nowhere else to go. Once Bane had revealed himself after literally leveling the playing field, Barsad had joined the blockade that had stood guard despite the emerging panic caused by the detonation.

Bane waited for news on how it had gone. There was nothing to discuss; they would dictate the terms and he fully trusted Barsad to deliver the message, but the army had yet to send someone. "Very well," he told Barsad. "Once you are done, meet me at City Hall where we will make our headquarters."

* * *

The chaos in the streets was dying down; people were scrambling to get to their houses for the curfew. Lucius was on the phone when he let Miranda in. She brought her duffle bag to his living room, sat down on the couch and dutifully waited for him to hang up. "Well, most of the board members are at home and their families are safe," he told her with a sigh of relief. Miranda gave him and approving smile, then immediately lost it when she enquired with convincing anxiousness: "What about Bruce? Have you reached him?"

Lucius swallowed loudly and started playing nervously with his phone. "I'm sure he's fine Miranda. I… I don't know where he is. He may have gotten out of the city." He was so nervous that he didn't see how her eyes closed in on him, surveying attentively, like a cat tracking a bird.

"But we haven't lost communication with the outside. We can still call outside of the city," Miranda replied, still playing her role of worried girlfriend.

"Y-yes... but I didn't get an answer," Fox replied with an edge. He immediately tried to change the subject when he saw Miranda's defeated expression. "Miranda, I'm sorry we didn't go into details because we never thought of this eventuality, but the reactor needs the base, or the core will slowly deteriorate. Whatever revolution this madman is planning, I calculate the bomb will go off in about 5 months," Lucius explained apologetically. Talia sneered when he called Bane a madman, but her facial expression was useful to feign her horror at his admission, which wasn't a revelation at all.

"But, Lucius, we cannot reconnect the core, the bomb is mobile," she said with an expertly broken voice.

"I know, but we have to find a way. Things will get much worst I fear..." he trailed off and sat on the couch next to her, then put his hand on her knee. "We have five months to save this city Miranda."

She put her hand on his and nodded. She admired the selflessness of this man, who thought not of his needs of survival. He had an ever-present gentleness that made her ponder for a few seconds, what it would have been like to have a father like him, instead of her own demanding and unforgiving progenitor. She thought how he and Alfred, another gentle man, had cared for Bruce, the way Bane had cared for her. Of course their sentimentality had blinded them to how Gotham really was, but she admired their devotion. She almost felt a tinge of regret thinking that this relationship with Fox, as fake as it was, would end. But, she had been trained young on betrayal, and had learned how real fortitude came not from defeating someone from hatred, but from betraying someone you respected, perhaps even admired, for a greater cause. However, though she could recognize Bruce's spirit, her hatred and resentment were never quailed by that respect. Betrayal was harder with Lucius, when they really had no reasons to be enemies, except that they were on different sides... it was hardest of all, however, when you deeply loved the person (she thought and reminisced in a flash at all the times she had left Bane and he had risked his life for hers, and how, even now, she was keeping him away), that was the greatest betrayal of all. A small tear came out of Miranda eye and she let it fall for Fox to see, and she allowed herself to weep inside, but she had to go through with it... for a higher cause.

* * *

Bane's men had taken over City Hall and had emptied out the great hall for that is where their leader had decided they would have a court and judge the corrupt, so that the people would have justice.

They had also taken up some rooms and brought their effects from the sewers, relocating their digital and audiovisual command center in another part of the building. Bane had put up his cot and a few personal effects in a small office that had bookshelves and, more importantly, a fireplace. It was on one of the lower floors but out of the way and he could lock it. He put some books and the case with Talia's clothing (which he always carried with him) near his bed, hoping that she would join him sooner rather than later. He let her carry on with her plan to spy on Lucius Fox though he didn't see him as a legitimate threat; the Batman had been eliminated and it was more than doubtful that Lucius could find someone that could derail their efforts. The masked man sat on his slim mattress, and let his hand caress the fabric of the hand-woven blanket, remembering the last time Talia had been draped in it.

She had visited him during his coup for Daggett in Africa. They had spent the night in his tent and he hadn't shut an eye; she had wanted to remain awake as well but fell asleep despite her efforts. He had watched her sleep, remembering all the times she had slept in his arms, from when she was but a wee child and innocent, to when she had become his as a woman. He had caressed her shoulder that night and pressed her to him as she shivered, wanting somehow to merge her to him. They were used to physical separation – it had seemed the world demanded it all their lives. But now, there were no outside obstacles keeping them apart except her plan, and she was losing herself more and more in this mission – more than ever before. He feared that this retched creation that was Miranda Tate would consume his Talia whole. Despite the sporadic reassurances during their rare moments of intimacy throughout their time in Gotham, their parting and her insistence at keeping them separated had fueled his fears. He blinked to swipe the thoughts away. He had chosen this, he reminded himself, and he had to accept the possible consequences of the choice.

He didn't have time to indulge much longer contemplation; Barsad came in the door and told him the men that had been sent to the hospital to get Jim Gordon had been killed and that the Commissioner had escaped. Bane's brow furrowed but he said nothing. He nodded in acknowledgment of the news, then stood up. "Start patrol schedules, some of the cops who weren't in the sewers might still have their badges and guns identifying them. Hunt them down."

* * *

Miranda and Lucius watched the evening news. Military jets were circling the city in recognizance, and the army had set up a barrier border on the remaining bridge to prevent anyone from crossing since the terrorists – as the media called them – had declared: "One person crosses that bridge, Gotham gets blown to hell." – a direct quote, apparently (_nicely done Barsad_, Talia thought). The President told the world that they would not abandon Gotham. The show of resolve was laughable. It was obvious they had nothing to deal with and that the people were indeed on their own. Miranda made sure she sent worried glances towards Lucius who was completely buying her act. As good as she was, Talia was still in awe of how a man as intelligent as Fox would not pick up on how steely her eyes were despite her trembling lips.

He kept saying encouraging words about Bruce and, every time, Talia imagined Wayne crippled in a cell in the Pit, watching his beloved city slowly be torn to shred so she could conjure up a smile. She tried to coincide the smile with whatever praise Fox was saying about Bruce. They both went to bed early after the newscast. Talia tried to hug several pillows to mimic Bane's bulk, but she felt the emptiness of the bed more deeply than ever. She was forcing herself to go over the plan, imagining how proud her father would be...not that he would show it – In fact, Ra's might very well be crossed that they would prove him wrong regarding his choice of Bruce as his star pupil.

She finally fell asleep out of exhaustion, but it was restless. She was having a dream in which she was back in the Pit, and Bane had followed her in climbing to freedom. When she reached the sun, she turned to help her friend, but he missed the jump and she wasn't strong enough to hold him and he fell back in the darkness. She stared into the darkness. She didn't jump, rather she continued towards the sun, but she regretted it. Despite her half-conscious efforts to change the image in her head, she continued walking under the scorching rays, leaving her heart in the shadows and she started to burn alive, the light setting her ablaze. She woke up drenched in sweat and her hands trembled.

When she met Lucius for breakfast, she blamed the stress of the terrorist occupation for her ragged look. His eyes were also hollowed and darker, so he accepted her explanation easily.

She told him she wanted to go for a walk at around 9:55 am, insisting on going alone and promising not to go far. She found the South-East corner and looked around until Barsad emerged from a lower staircase on the sidewalk and whispered "Gordon has fled, if you hear of his whereabouts, call this number." He showed her his palm where a number was written in pen. She memorized the digits, then he said loudly "Don't loiter in the streets Miss, it's about to get dangerous." He nodded respectfully but with subtlety and he left. Her eyes followed him until he turned into an alley and her gaze honed in on a shadow. Finally, she saw Bane's big silhouette come partially out to look at her. She almost waved but she stopped herself. Instead, she put her hand on her heart and she mimed the word "You" and looked piercingly in his eyes, lips parted in silent longing. Bane wore a severe expression, but he nodded and then put one of his hands on the left side of his chest. Once he saw her mouth close and stretch slightly, he quickly disappeared behind the wall of the building. Soon after, a tumbler emerged from the alley and sped past her. She knew they were heading to Blackgate Prison.


	9. Friends and Foes

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : I am leaving for a few weeks on vacation so I won't be updating any of the stories before beginning of November, but I do intend to continue them. This chapter deals with Bane and Talia's determination and the complexity of it, as well as the relationships and people it involves.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**IX. Friends and Foes**

After the tumbler blazed past her, Talia decided to follow, to be witness (in the flesh this time) to another of Bane's triumphs. She reasoned her idea: She would text Lucius to tell him that she had news from her assistant and that she was going to meet her. Then, she was going to steal a vehicle and drive in pursuit of the tumbler to Blackgate Prison.

She quickly surveyed the street. It was almost deserted. There was a trucker, who she could hope would leave the truck running when he went into the convenience store, but it wasn't likely. She saw a man nervously move towards his car; she could run to him, but that would probably push him to get into his vehicle even quicker. There was a family of three around a minivan; she could try to convince them she needed the car, but they probably wouldn't accept and it would draw too much attention. She eyed a girl, who she could wrestle with for the keys but, once again, public violence could destroy her cover. Her mind was going a mile minute and, while she was evaluating her options to get a car, she started running after the tumbler.

* * *

The tumbler had a screen on the visor hooked to a camera behind the military vehicle and Bane had kept an eye on it, watching Talia as they were leaving. When he saw her start to run and look around, he figured out her intentions to follow (the lines between her eyebrows: a testament to her earnestness). It reminded him of a time in the Pit, when Talia was a small child and she had disobeyed and followed him while he was getting food. When he had spotted her, she had first looked down (she thought she had been so clever not to be seen), but had immediately smiled shyly. He had glared at her and had to break the arm of a man who tried to grab her. From then on, he had locked the cell and made sure she would only come with him when necessary. He admired her spirit, and she was much too clever for her own good, but he couldn't let her endanger herself, despite her desire to be with him.

He ordered Barsad to stop, which he did immediately. The large man slowly came out and took a gun for show. He sent frightening glances to the people around, eliciting several to flee. He ordered the more foolhardy that were standing and watching to get inside, and they swiftly complied. He walked menacingly towards Miranda Tate

She stood her ground, but her eyes widened and she clenched and unclenched her fists. His hands were also fidgeting. To the untrained eye, it didn't show, but they were both extremely tense. He stopped about two feet from her, mostly because she seemed scared of him; her eyes were darting in all directions. It was the expression she used to have when his tone became steely, when she knew she'd done something wrong. That memory smoothed out his disposition somewhat and his eyebrows raised in surprise. Could she really be scared?

* * *

Talia was afraid, not that he would hurt her, but that she had disappointed and angered him again. She worked so hard to be worthy of the cause and worthy of being Ra's al Ghul's heir, yet Bane had been the first and only one to truly believe in her and (though she made her own decisions and they disagreed on many things), losing his respect was something she deeply feared. She was relieved when she saw his confused, questioning expression.

"Get back inside Ms Tate," he said calmly. "I wanted…" she started explaining but she shut up instantly. What did she want? She couldn't truly articulate it. Her hand started reaching out for him but he didn't move. He looked at her sternly. "I suggest you watch television Ms Tate, it will be quite a show," he told her with a joviality that did not transmit to his eyes.

Talia opened her lips again but she felt a pull from behind and realized that Lucius had come out to protect her. "Come inside Miranda," he said, holding her shoulders. She didn't even have to pretend shock. Lucius had come down to see if Miranda was ok and had found her being terrorized by Bane. He had heard the masked mercenary tell her to go inside and he had rushed to her, understanding that fear had paralyzed Miranda.

Bane had been equally surprised by the speed of the old Fox. He instinctively reached out to grab Talia's wrist when Lucius pulled her away. They both turned around, Fox completely alarmed. "Watch television," he told her and Fox, then he let her go after brushing his thumb on her wrist, which provoked a subtle smile on her face that only he caught.

Bane went back to the tumbler and told Barsad to call the man who had been shadowing Miranda. "Tell him the mission has changed, that he must now track Fox. It is risky for him to see Talia's meetings with us, if he comes back earlier."

Barsad hesitated a moment, but Bane did not explain further. Their trust was deep enough that Barsad risked saying: "He would never even mention it, if he came back and saw us talking to her." Bane knew that was true, but he didn't change his instruction. "Wherever Fox is, she will be," he finally added. "Now, let's proceed. The Media has been called, yes?" Barsad nodded. Bane looked one final time in the monitor. Both Fox and Talia had disappeared.

Fox had ushered Miranda back in the apartment, asking her if she was all right. "What happened?"

"I…I" Talia struggled to find a story, "I saw him wave a gun and, saw the people frightened. I, I don't know Lucius, I thought I could reason with him."

"I'm afraid, Miranda, that this man cannot be reasoned with. Who knows what he has prepared now," he said in a worried tone as he opened the door and turned on the television set to the national news channel.

They both took their coats off and sat down to watch. Soon enough, there was a feed from Gotham showing tumblers in front of Blackgate Prison. Bane stood on one of the tumblers and started speaking.

"Behind you stands a symbol of oppression… Blackgate Prison." He then went on to read Jim Gordon's confession letter and very efficiently ripped up Harvey Dent's picture in two, calling him a "false idol" who was used to imprison criminals without parole. They finally blew open the doors and, a few minutes later, inmates came out with guns. Bane called them to serve.

"He's recruiting an army," Fox said, breathless, his eyes glued to the television set. Talia looked at the back of his head with a devilish smile, "he is," she confirmed, careful that her voice would not transmit her glee.

* * *

There were a handful of reporters to record Bane's speech, but he didn't need a crowd. They would transmit his message to all the Gothamines and the world... the revolution had started.

He instructed his new men to go to the streets and give whoever they encountered the choice to join the people, to storm the houses of the wealthy that had too long left them out of the cold. Those who did not join would be judged with the rich and corrupt in a newly convened Court of the People.

As the inmate started dispersing, led by the mercenaries, Barsad walked up to Bane. "I just got news from our team in Arkham Asylum. They have located The Joker in isolation."

"Hmm… good. Make sure he doesn't escape," Bane ordered.

"He almost brought Gotham to its knees eight years ago," Barsad observed.

"He cannot be controlled," Bane stated in reply.

"Surely _you_ can control him," Barsad said, then immediately looked down.

The only control Bane could have on The Joker was to kill him and he was too much of a risk. Talia and he had talked of the man at length but they had agreed that he had no ideals, and that he was too volatile and could disrupt their plan.

He did not feel the need to justify his decision further to Barsad and his right-hand man had stayed silent, aware he had perhaps gone too far with his familiarity. Barsad was no mere henchman, so Bane ended the awkward exchange by lightly asking: "Have you found our friend?"

Barsad looked up and nodded, then waved one of the men to approach with an inmate – a tall, lanky man wearing glasses. "Doctor Crane," Bane exclaimed, opening his arms in an inviting way. "I believe it is time for your association with the League of Shadows to resume."

"The League of Shadows? Ra's al Ghul is dead," said the young doctor. "You are the new Head?"

"Indeed. Will you help usher in a new Gotham and judge and sentence the corrupt?"

Doctor Crane pondered an instant. "What power will that give me?"

"The power to play with the fears and hopes of the accused," Bane said mischievously.

"What sentence can I give?"

"I'll let you be the judge of that."


	10. Take Control of the City

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : It's been a long absence but hopefully it made the heart grow fonder. Bane's revolution in Gotham is underway and her is yet another chapter about how badass both Bane and Talia are.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**X. Take Control of the City**

Bane and Barsad made their way down to the eastern section of the basement of City Hall. A dozen men and women were looking over consoles and about thirty television screens. Doctor Jonathan Crane, who had escaped from Blackgate Prison, was acting as the director. He was no longer wearing his orange prison garb and had found a worn-out suit that would matched nicely with the burlap bag he used to wear as a mask when he was terrorizing patients as the Scarecrow. So engrossed was Crane in coordinating the visual chaos, that he looked like a crazed maestro conducting an orchestra, and he didn't notice the two mercenaries approaching. The monitors were showing various scenes of Gotham being taken over by hordes of citizens coming down on the privileged to overtake the city. They were led and cheered on by Bane's men, but the editing made sure only to show the citizens, young and old, with their fists in the air, demanding justice and equality.

Crane stepped back a bit when the huge masked man in military clothes cast a shadow over him.

"Good work, Doctor Crane," Bane said in a deep voice. They had worked furiously to get all the necessary equipment to broadcast the footage of the population taking control of their city, for all of Gotham and the world to see.

The young, handsome man took off his glasses and started cleaning them, then put them back only to take them off again nervously, though his voice was cool and collected. "Yes, it is fascinating to see disbelief turn to dread, turn to panic, then despair…"

Bane's cheeks rose under the mask as he smiled while watching a man drag out a woman from a posh apartment complex to the streets, by pulling at her fur coat.

"The people are taking back Gotham," Barsad said from behind. Both Bane and he exchanged a complicit look.

"They will be rounded up," Bane said as he turned back towards Crane. "They are obviously guilty of oppressing the people of Gotham and enriching themselves – living in decadence while the rest starved in the cold. Have you decided on sentencing?" he asked the doctor in a calm, amused tone.

"Well, yes," said Doctor Crane, "but I thought it would be a nice experiment to give the guilty a choice." Bane looked perplexed. "Yes," Crane explained with a smile, "to see if their fear of death is greater than their fear of the unknown; I would offer them Death or Exile."

"Hmmm…." Bane pondered carefully how to best manipulate the situation. "But, there is a risk of a person making it off the island and causing the detonation, while we are trying to rebuild society. After all we must keep our word. If a person flees, the trigger man will detonate the bomb; there is no stopping that."

Whether or not Crane was being manipulated or he just played along for his own reasons was not important. This conversation was for the benefit of the faithful in the room, since these were new recruits from Gotham and they knew nothing of the entire plan.

"Of course. As I said," Crane answered, fiddling with his glasses, "I'm interested in their reaction to the unknown; we don't have to offer them the bridge as exile. The waters are already deadly cold and the distance is too great to swim to the other shore. Plus, soon enough, ice will cover the water, but it is never thick enough in the middle of the river, and by then the temperature will be instantly lethal."

If ever there was a time Bane had wanted to laugh out loud during the siege of Gotham, it was now; for it seemed that the Scarecrow had perfectly understood the importance of feeding hope during torture. He simply put his hand on the doctor's shoulder and nodded appreciatively.

"Carry on, good doctor," he told him before leaving with Barsad. They went up the stairs to the first floor and walked down a narrow, bare hallway.

"Any news?" Bane asked.

"Iraj said that Lucius Fox and Miranda Tate have left Fox's apartment building and met up with another man and they were heading further uptown," Barsad replied.

Bane's fingers flickered slightly. Barsad noticed it but continued: "There is a group of about five hundred people marching towards the townhouses where they seem to be heading; should I tell the men to divert the crowd?" the sharpshooter asked.

Bane stopped and took hold of his bulletproof vest so his hands would stop fidgeting. He had one of his henchmen follow Lucius Fox but it was really a ploy to make sure Talia was all right. He didn't want her in danger, though he knew very well she could take care of herself. However, if Lucius was killed in a riot, she could be by his side sooner, since there would be no need to fear anyone taking up the mantle of the Batman without Fox's technological wizardry to help.

"No, we…" he didn't have time to finish his sentence when a bullet flew pass Barsad's head. They turned and quickly spotted the pudgy young man, dripping in sweat, hiding behind the corner wall. Bane pushed Barsad to the side while he grabbed a smoke grenade from his man's vest and threw the canister over to the shooter, while ducking to avoid another shot.

The man started coughing and his arm went up and down as he shot randomly; his vision was now completely impaired. Barsad had regained his footing and aimed at the shadow that preceded the shot. He hit the shooter's armed hand just below the palm, almost severing his wrist. The man lost the gun and fell back against the wall, holding his bleeding hand, trying to see through the fog. The last thing he saw coming from the thick white smoke was a tall, masked devil strutting towards him. He felt a grip of steel on his neck as Bane lifted him up with one arm.

"Sometimes, there is not much difference between courage and foolishness," Bane said while looking around to see if he had accomplices.

The man couldn't respond, tears were streaming down his cheeks and his voice was choked. His legs flayed widely in the air until his body finally went limp when Bane had completely cut off his supply of oxygen by crushing his neck.

"Do you think he was a policeman? Barsad ask.

"It doesn't matter," his leader responded as he dropped to body on the floor and walk over it.

* * *

Miranda and Lucius had been seeing the city start to tear itself apart on the news, and had decided to try to save as many as they could, starting with the board members of Wayne Enterprises, as they knew they would be targets. They had to find another place to hide, one that would be safer. They had to get out of this building before they would be trapped in by a mob.

Fortunately, their cells phones were still working, though they were trying to be cryptic when texting in case they were being bugged. They had decided to meet up at the house of Margaret, a vice-president of acquisitions, who apparently had a warehouse by the docks they could perhaps use. Her husband let them in and they found five other board members there, waiting nervously.

"It will be impossible to get to the docks, Bane's men control that area," Margaret anxiously told them.

"So where do we go now?" Philip, another voting member, inquired.

"What about the others?" Miranda chimed in.

"I'm not sure," answered their host, "they should be on their way".

"Let's wait a few minutes then," said Fox.

Miranda and the others nodded and tensely sat down in silence.

It was not long before the first brick went through the window and the mob forced its way in the home.

"We can't stay here," Lucius exclaimed and they started to head to the adjacent room, but a group of rioters was already coming in. The small group retreaded in another living room, closing the doors behind them. They started running to the other side, but the connecting corridor was already filled with people trashing the furniture, drinking and gleefully vandalizing everything.

"We'll have to go through them,'" Miranda declared. Lucius agreed and took off his pure wool coat. Just by their clothing, they would be identified as upper class, so they promptly ditched the designer scarves and jewelry. Miranda wore a simple navy coat (which Bane had picked out) that wouldn't seem out of place, but it was still dangerous. They went out of the room holding various things in their hands, trying to look like they were looting.

They made their way, one after the other, through the crowd. Miranda stopped to look at the anarchy and, for a moment, her mask was shed and Talia's face appeared. She smiled widely at the festive vandals; she frowned just a bit when she thought she spotted Selina Kyle, that cat burglar woman, down another hallway, following a girl with curly blond hair. Talia came out of her daze when she got bumped in the shoulder and realized she had almost lost the small group who was heading towards the dinning room. She started walking to go join them, when a man with dubious hygiene grabbed her elbow. Miranda looked terrified when she looked in the group's direction but, when she saw none of her colleagues, her head turned towards her attacker and Talia looked at him with a cold smile, She immediately used the arm he held to catapult her fist into his nose. He went for her throat, so she grabbed his head with both hands and hit a mirror with in, breaking it. Her furious assailant tried to throw a punch but she easily avoided it, then she squatted to pick up a shard of the mirror and plunged it into his groin. She grinned more widely as his eyes bulged out in shock. His screams were downed by the ruckus of the melee. Talia let him drop to the floor where he bled to death, without anyone noticing. She then made her way to the other room, where Lucius was looking for her.

She immediately portrayed a distressed air as he met her. "Are you alright Miranda?" he asked, looking at the blood on her hand.

"Yes, I just cut it on a mirror when a fight broke out," she responded, out of breath. He held on to her and led her successfully out of the townhouse, where they eventually were able to walk with the moving crowd, then dart in an alley and hide behind containers with two of their colleagues.

"Where are the others?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know," Thomas, a Financial Director, answered. "Peter texted me that he was still home I just wrote him to stay there."

"Alright, we need to get out of this part of town," Lucius Fox declared.

"Agreed" Miranda responded. "Maybe an abandoned governmental building?"

"Or a public library?" Thomas proposed.

"That's a good idea, the National Library on the Far East side; it should be near deserted," Fox proposed.

"Ok, let's meet there in three hours," Miranda said.

"What?" Lucius asked, incredulous, while her two other colleagues looked back, stunned.

"We have to try to find the others. I got a text from my assistant Lucinda. She's a few blocks from here and I can't leave her."

"Then we'll all go," Thomas declared.

"If we do that, they'll eventually identify us. We already lost people that way; who knows where they are now. We all have our phones. Lucius: you have to try to get to Peter's place before the mob get's there. They seem to be staying on this street and his house is two streets down".

Fox was extremely reluctant to let her go, but Miranda stroke his arm to reassure him.

"Be careful," Fox told Miranda. "You too Lucius... all of you," she responded before parting with them and making her way out of the alley.

Iraj, who had spotted Fox in the alley and was observing from the other side of the street radioed in to Barsad: "The Tate woman's gone out on her own, should I follow her?"

"No." was the immediate response. "Stay with Fox."

Talia had made it through a block and waited till the mercenary stopped looking towards her before she phoned the number Barsad had shown her when they last met.

Bane answered: "Where are you going?"

"To you," she responded. "I have three hours." She waited and listened to the metallic sound of his heavy breathing through his apparatus; it comforted her so much that she started almost running.

"Barsad will pick you up on 113th."

"I'm five blocks from there. I'll see you soon…" she replied, lingering on the line to listen to his breathing.

"Make haste," was all he said before he hung up. And haste, she did make.


	11. Let Me

**Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note : Finally Talia and Bane will reunite, but not without tension. However, this does have some NSFW content so be advised :)**

* * *

**XI. Let Me**

Talia, still in the guise of Miranda, had just arrived at the corner of 113th Street when Barsad pull up in a Jeep. She hopped in quickly. He pulled some clothes from the backseat and gave them to her. She immediately understood, took off her coat and started to put on the black hoodie, the pair of jeans with chains, gloves and a toque. Barsad never took his eyes off the road.

"Because of your slight frame," he said in Arabic, "the boss thinks you could pass as a student anarchist."

Talia nodded in an exaggerated way so Barsad could see her approval from the corner of his eyes and smiled privately.

"Anarchy is the theme of the day," she observed. "Should I have a weapon?"

The young bearded sniper handied her a few spray cans and a small pocketknife with the blade stuck so that you had to forcibly pry it from the handle. He sported a large grin. She frowned but was rather amused. "Right… a student," she acknowledged, returning the smile.

"And my face?" she asked as he turned his head to look at her. She had tucked her hair under the toque and pulled up the hoodie, but her delicate features were much too recognizable. He gave her a pair a dark goggles and a scarf, which she quickly folded into a triangle and tied behind her head. She put the goggles on and asked: "How do I look?"

"Like you belong in streets that have turned into a warzone," Barsad answered as he was zigzagging to avoid cars in flames and vandals on a rampage.

They arrived at City Hall less than 20 minutes later. No sooner had Barsad gotten out of the jeep that Talia was already beside him, hoping he would speed up and bring her to Bane already. "Follow me closely," he said, careful for it to sound like advice rather than an order. He was impressed by the transformation; whereas Miranda had gracefully tiptoed towards his car minutes earlier, this new anarchist slouched and walked with his leg spread apart and his feet pointing in sideways, with his hands in his jeans pockets and spray cans shoved down his hoodie. He also looked nervously from side to side at everyone; he looked like a scared punk.

Bane was overseeing the installation of the court, knitting calmly with his back to a column. Though he saw them coming, he didn't show it until they were right up to him.

"Found this one leading a dozen 'liberators'. He could be a good recruit," Barsad said just loud enough for anyone to hear. Bane gave a disdainful look to the young man in front of him, unfazed by the mask and goggles (though he was secretly entertained by Talia's metamorphosis).

"Show him around..., he'll need new clothes," Bane ordered, then looked away.

Barsad bowed his head towards Bane, then jerked it to signal to the boy to follow him.

Bane was itching to follow but was still slightly crossed that Talia insisted on keeping them separated. With this thought, everything he disliked about Miranda Tate, and this mission, came back and he clenched his fists; he started playing with his red yarn again to calm down.

After consulting with Doctor Crane about how high his bench should be for judgement, he put down the yarn and needles on a chair and walked towards the room he had claimed as his. He bumped into Barsad. Though there was no one around, they still played their roles. "The boy is settled in?" Bane asked

"Yes, I've left him to change clothes," Barsad answered with a hint of a smile.

Bane put a hand on his Brother's shoulder as a thank you and made his way to his room. He hesitated before opening the door. He wasn't sure how he would react when he would see Miranda; there had been such tension when they last saw each other.

But, it wasn't Miranda who turned around; it was Talia. She had no makeup on nor any jewelry, her hair was held back in a half braid and she wore the dark red embroidered robe he kept for her. He had such a sense of relief upon seeing her. The sun came in from the window, framing her head like a halo; he was flooded with memories of when he had seen her again for the first time after the Pit. He closed the door behind it and locked it, without turning from her.

Talia was nervous. As soon as Barsad had left her in the room and she saw her clothes and some other things he kept for her, she immediately shed the clothes of the anarchist and then peeled off the Miranda layer. She stripped naked and put on the robe, hoping she would see softness in his eyes again – and she did. She stretched a large smiled and walked towards him.

"I told Fox I was going to find my assistant – which I won't. She'll have already gone by the time I got there and I'll say she didn't answer any of my texts. We are all meeting at the National Library. That's where we'll stay with other members of the board of Wayne Enterprises. You can make sure it's not raided," she explained happily.

"Why?" he asked pointedly, disgruntled that her first words were about Fox.

"They're leaders in the community, people will seek them out, especially Fox, to help organize. We have to keep this resistance cell, albeit an useless one, to give hope to the people. I also have to make sure Fox doesn't thwart our plan."

"There are much more definitive ways to ensure that," he responded. "You are indeed your father's daughter; you give more importance to ceremony than the end goal," he told her with a steely tone.

She bit her lower lip to stop herself from continuing the conversation that was having the adverse effect of what she wanted. She pressed her palms on his shoulders, gently rubbing the fabric of his black shirt.

"My friend, my Brother, my… Bane, have I asked too much?" she wondered, with a tremor in her voice.

He took a few deep breaths to remain calm but she could see his eyes were livid. "You think I will fail?" he coldly asked.

She violently shook her head. "You could never fail. You've never failed me," she responded as a tear sped down her cheek.

For a moment he wondered if it was an act, if he could still trust her, but her features transformed before his eyes. She looked younger, almost afraid. He knew, deep down, he knew she still needed him; she still needed his protection.

He wiped the trace of the tear with his thumb and replied more warmly: "I will not fail you now. But, I will eventually round Fox and the others up, you understand?"

"I do. I just need a bit more time; Fox can help us draw out insurgents. Enough about him; we have a few hours for us. A game of _ifranjiah_?" she proposed, knowing how much he liked backgammon and how little time for simple enjoyment he had had during his stay in Gotham. She saw his cheeks rise up just a bit, just enough for her to know he was smiling.

They played a game, sitting on the bed he had made with his cot over metal cases. She pretended to cheat and she finally got him to laugh, which made her laugh in a way she hadn't in so long. She looked at the room and thought that this was all they needed; The world could disappear and they could stay together, in here.

"How much time do we have left?" he asked, breaking her reverie. She almost told him about her thoughts, but she stopped herself. She couldn't just abandon after coming so far. Her father would be forever disappointed, and perhaps Bane as well – _To tell him all his tireless work was for nothing, to ask him to leave with her, a girl too cowardly to go through with her plan, to fail him, to fail her father, to fail herself…_ no, she wouldn't do it.

"We have enough time," she replied, putting the game aside and rolling the bottom of his black shirt up so she could pulled it above his head. She knelt down in front of him and untied his boots. He bent to do it himself, but she said: "Let me, please."

She unbuckled his pants and put her hand inside, grabbing his shaft and bringing it out. She approached her lips to the large head but his hands stopped her. He couldn't take off the mask now and he never allowed her to pleasure him orally if he couldn't do the same.

She looked back at him. "Let me, please. You've done so much. Let me take care of you," she pleaded. He sighed in resignation. He didn't want to fight with her and, truth be told, he wanted her to soothe him. She embraced him tentatively, suckling the tip while her hand stroke the base, making him harden quickly. Her tongue contoured the head, then traced the back of his erection before she swallowed his ballocks, bouncing them in her mouth. He grabbed hold of the cot's side, careful not to break it, but trying to control his urge to explode. It got more and more difficult when her head started bobbing between his leg and he noticed her caressing herself, with one hand while the other continued massaging him, following her mouth from top to bottom.

He took off his back brace, then turned gently to lie down and her head followed. He closed his eyes, the pressure becoming unbearably exquisite. He opened his eyes when he felt her move. She had taken off her robe while he was still in her mouth and she straddled him so that her legs framed his head and her breasts pressed on his abdomen. He grabbed her buttocks at the sight of her wet lips and she pressed herself on his mask while she swallowed him. He gently rubbed her with the muzzle of the mask – that was enough to make her flow. She had to remove her head from his cock as she convulsed and then, still in the throws of her passion, she went back to licking and suckling him until he joined her.

She turned on her side to look at him, with a broad smile at the site of him heaving and his eyes still half-closed in the aftershock. When he regained some of his senses, he sat up and wrapped her torso in his arms. She did the same as they joined their foreheads.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"There is no thanks to give," she replied, shaking her head while keeping her forehead pressed to his. She put her hand on his heart and brought his to hers. "You once told me that your heart beats because of mine. My heat would stop without yours, you know. As long as yours beats, mine will as well."

They stayed silent for a good while, then Talia had to say: "I'll have to go soon, Fox will be waiting."

Bane grabbed her under her arms and stood up, lifting her in the process, then brought her to the wall. She wrapped her legs and arms around him. "He can wait," Bane declared forcefully before he pressed her to the wall and she smiled in anticipation.


	12. Foolproof Plan

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, which are based on Christopher Nolan's TDKR.**

**Author's note: It's back to business with this chapter. Thank you to all the readers, followers and reviewers of this story. I'm sorry for the errors and typos when posting, I do try to correct them afterwards. I try to reread several times but with hours being a rare currency in my life, sometimes I miss them. I thank you for your patience :)**

* * *

**XII. Foolproof Plan**

Bane waited until Talia had transformed again into a rebellious student before calling Barsad by radio. "You believe Fox can still be useful alive?" Bane asked her, just to have her talk again. He already knew what her answer would be. She turned while she adjusted the hoodie on her head. "He's talking of saving people, soon it will be talk of resistance. He's going to try to rally the disgruntled and persecuted. Imagine how crushing it will be to their faith and hope when he fails… and he will." She knew he'd heard it before, but she was likewise trying to prolong the moment.

She had received a call from Lucius Fox while she was still in Bane's arms, in the room he had made for them in City Hall. Miranda was late for her meeting with her colleagues, so Fox was very worried. She reassured him that she was still chasing after her assistant, whose home had been ransacked. Miranda carefully avoided giving Fox any indication of where she would be and told him she would meet him in the Library – not to worry, that she would keep in touch.

Talia and Bane had then dressed in silence, up till now; her voice had a higher inflection when she spoke as Miranda and Bane hated it. "How is Crane working out?" Talia asked when she heard Barsad's knock at the door. Bane nodded and answered with an amused tone: "He's whimsical".

Talia let out a small giggle that made the big man smile. His hand brushed down her arm, then he opened the door and said a single word to Barsad – "Library" – before he left them both without looking back.

Talia put the scarf over her mouth and the goggles to completely cover her face, and then started walking with her back hunched, looking every bit like the student anarchist she had come as a few hours before. The two of them went out a back entrance to avoid as many eyes as possible.

Once they were in the Jeep, Talia asked Barsad to make a detour before the Library and to drive them to the Wayne Enterprises tower so that they could make their way underground to the reactor. She told him to dismiss the men that were guarding it before they arrived and to post them somewhere else so they wouldn't be seen.

The young mercenary hesitated for a few seconds, but she jerked her head in a way he was used to seeing Bane do when he got impatient about orders being carried out, so he immediately assumed his leader was aware of this. As far as Barsad knew Bane and the Demon head's daughter (as Barsad knew Talia) had no secrets from one another.

Talia had not meant to hide this idea from Bane; she had simply thought of it just after she repeated her justification of keeping Fox alive. If Lucius were successful in leading a resistance and finding a way to stop them, _how beautiful would it be for him to get to the reactor in order to reattach the core only to have the room auto-destruct._ Water would destroy the computer-controlled power source but wouldn't prevent the detonation of the core. Whatever happened, the destruction of Gotham would be assured. Lucius Fox, or any other for that matter, really didn't have a chance to successfully beat them, but Talia knew that chance was a fickle friend and it was wise to make fail-safe arrangements. This plan was completely foolproof.

As they walked to the reactor chamber, passing under the now-deserted armory, Talia asked Barsad if there was news from the Pit. She had not broached the subject of Bruce Wayne with Bane, not when they had so little time together. "He's bedridden – an invalid," Barsad answered with a prideful smile. "Bane broke him," he said, turning towards her. She pulled down the scarf from her mouth; "I wish I could have seen it," she confided, with a sincere grin.

That smile returned when she overrode the system of the reactor so that any entry of the ignition code would trigger the flooding of the chamber. Barsad waited patiently for her, then dutifully drove her to a corner, two streets South of the National Library, where she went to go meet Lucius Fox, with every intention of having Miranda be a dynamic supporter of forming a resistance.

* * *

Half a dozen former members of the Wayne board and about forty other people had settled in the East section of the National Library for almost two months. This part of town had been deserted since Bane's men had cut off electricity and heating. She knew it would avoid the area being too frequented, and the isolation provided some sense of safety for Lucius and the rest of the group, but she couldn't help but wonder if Bane had decided to do that so that she would decide to abandon her plan; winter's coldest months were still ahead and she never withstood cold very well, especially when she didn't have his body heat to shield her.

She and Bane disagreed that her staying with Fox served their plan, but she was rewarded for her dedication when, one morning, a young man found them. When they told him who they were, he revealed he was a cop: Detective John Blake. An eager go-getter, she didn't miss the quick friendly rapport that Fox and Blake established, and how at ease they were with each other. Apparently, this young policeman had been a friend of Bruce; he admitted as much in front of her when Lucius introduced her as Bruce's girlfriend.

"Do you know where Bruce is?" Miranda asked with worry painted all over her face.

Blake had moment's hesitation, but just the way his eyes went up to Fox, then away from her directly, Talia understood that Blake knew that Bruce was the Batman. He had probably figured out that Fox was the one arming the Bat, yet here they were, all three with knowledge of the dual identity of Bruce Wayne, yet no one admitting to it, since they couldn't know for sure that the others knew. Lucius could perhaps assume that Bruce had told her, but he couldn't risk it. Since Bruce didn't have many friends, Blake's knowledge was also a possibility but one that couldn't be verbalized out loud. For Talia, she found it more distressing that she hadn't known of the relationship Bruce had with John; she wondered what else she might have missed.

"I don't know if he's even on the island. I don't know where he is," was all Blake said. He was telling the truth if not all of it; he didn't want to mention Selina Kyle since he was trying to limit the amount of information he shared at large (even with Wayne's friends).

After that day, Blake came periodically for the next few months, keeping Lucius and Miranda updated on his secret correspondence with his partner, who was trapped underground with the rest of the police force. He revealed he was in contact with other cops that were still free but wouldn't say who. Fox and Miranda told him about the deterioration of the reactor, how they had to find a way to get people out of Gotham or to reconnect the core to the power source. They knew they needed outside help. Finally, one day, Blake said, they would have news tomorrow about an outside contact. He asked them to remain in the Library until he came the next afternoon.

That night at around 3:00am Miranda left the room where the women and children were sleeping and pretended to go to the bathroom. She went down the stairs into the dark basement. It was damp and cold. Miranda started to shiver and was startled by some of the sounds the piping made. When she was deep enough, Talia, though still shivering like Miranda, was now calmly roaming the pitch-black hallway, with her hand gliding on the wall. Her eyes quickly got used to the dark, like they had in the Pit and she could make out rats scuttling about.

She was to count fifty-four paces but the cold made her lose count. She thought she was at forty-eight when she hit a wall - a hard, tall and warm wall that closed in around her. His breath brushed the top of her head and she leaned her face to nuzzle it on her protector's neck.

Since having taken up residency in the Library, Talia had resumed daily communication by signals with Barsad. She had sent word through him for a meet at night in the basement, leaving the details on a dictionary page she had ripped out. She had anticipated their rendez-vous with joy and hoped Bane would feel the same. The familiarity of the dark around them was so reassuring, she felt like a child again.

"Has Lucius Fox succeeded in mounting his rebellion?" Bane asked in a low voice.

"Almost, there's to be outside help. The detective I told you about is supposed to come by tomorrow. I'm not sure at what time. The government is most likely sending special ops through the supply convoy. We could stop them on the bridge," she whispered, while she wrapped her arms around his large waist.

"No, we let them enter; we let them give the rebels hope that their plan could succeed. That was the entire point of this exercise was it not?"

"Hmm'" she hummed while her nose nodded, pressed to his neck. He held her closer. Chance was trying them, but they would improvise as they always did. "Soon, my friend," she told him, their reunion would be soon.


End file.
